Fushigi Yuugi A 'What if' Story
by Blue Rose Doujinshi
Summary: Three best friends and FY fans are sent to their favorite universe...only now, they don't remember the plot! Undergoing some much needed construction.
1. A Mysterious Gift

**Opening Author's Note::** In case anyone has any questions about the storyline or characters, please e-mail them to fy_whatif(at)ymail. com (without spaces, obviously) and that IS ymail. com, not yahoo. com

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Mysterious Gift** (_This can't be happening!_)

The girl sat lazily on the couch, petting the head of the calmer of her two Chihuahuas as she flipped through the channels on her HDTV. It seemed like nothing good was ever on anymore, even in the anime sections on OnDemand which she had grown to love. She found herself re-watching episodes from 'Utena' and 'To Heart' instead of the badly made horror films on the FearNet channel she might typically enjoy. She sighed and looked at the time on the guide; 7:32pm. Where was he? Sure he was late sometimes, but it had been a while since she'd been to his house and she thought he would be on time since he had apparently missed her so much. Her mother sat at the computer in the adjacent, doorless sunroom on the computer, probably typing something for her class.

"Ma, what time did he say he'd be here again?" Her mother sighed, aggravated; this was the fifth time the girl had asked her that, and she was growing impatient.

"He said 6:30, but you know how your father can be."

"I know…" the girl grumbled. She perked up at the sound of yet another car pulling into the parking lot at their apartment complex, hoping it was him. Soon the phone rang and a knock on the door moments after. Her dogs went nuts; the one that had been in her lap, Abel, who was normally silent let out a yelp-like bark before his brother, coincidentally named Cain, yipped until someone opened the door. The teenager pressed the talk button on her phone and explained to her disappointed friend that she would have to call her back later, and opened the door.

"Bye, Onee-sama!" click.

"Hello, daughter. I expect you have your things ready?" He was in a happy mood-that was good; she giggled at his silly accent and words and nodded, grabbing her duffel bag.

"Bye, Ma! See you in a couple of weeks!"

"Bye, Baby, have fun!"

She scratched behind her dogs' ears one last time before closing the door and following her dad to the car. The ride to his house wasn't very long, but it was filled with her father's ranting about politicians and gas prices. She just sat silently, happy that he was so talkative; she herself never knew what to say, and was glad to be relieved of her end of the conversation.

When they arrived, it was cold and she could see her own breath in the air. She followed her dad to the front door and upstairs once they were inside, stopping momentarily to greet her grandparents, who she hadn't seen in many months. She relaxed on her bed upstairs in what should have been an office, laying her bag on the floor next to her, leaving the light off. She stared at the ceiling fan, about to start daydreaming when she heard a thumping noise coming from somewhere in the house. It was only once, but it was too loud for anyone not to notice.

"Dad, was that you?" No response. She sat up slowly. Maybe he went downstairs again? Or maybe he was in the bathroom.. Regardless, she found herself intrigued, and couldn't stop herself from going to investigate. She saw nothing wrong in the computer room that led to her bedroom, and walked into the hallway. She didn't think it came from her father's room, and no one was in the upstairs bathroom. Her eyes flicked to the room that would have been hers. It was her grandmother's rarely used study. She pushed the door open and turned on the light. She saw a wrapped gift on the floor with a small card attached to it. She picked it up.

"'Happy early Christmas. To: Ayako' Huh…it doesn't say who it's from." She held it more lightly, trying to weigh it. It was slightly heavy, and it was shaped like a novel. "It's probably from my grandmother." Satisfied that this was the cause of the noise, she turned off the light and returned to her room. She untied the purple ribbon around the red and green plaid wrapping paper, and carefully opened it, trying not to rip the pretty paper. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she realized what it was.

"ShiJinTenChiSho!" she nearly shrieked, and her face flushed before she took deep breaths to calm herself. Of course it was just a replica; there was no way this could be real, and she knew for a fact that it had no powers or dimensional doorways in its pages. She sighed, almost disappointed.

"Maybe it's a journal or something, or maybe it's a written version of Fushigi Yuugi!" She opened the book and saw the all-too-familiar picture of the phoenix-god, Suzaku. The writing on the page beside it was in Chinese, but she knew all too well what it said.

" 'This is the story of a girl who had her wishes granted and was given many powers once she possessed the seven Suzaku stars. The story itself is a spell, and the one who reads it to the end will be granted a wish just like the main character because the tale begins and is real the moment the first page is turned…'" She could hardly contain herself; normally, she was relatively calm compared to most people around items from their favorite anime, but when it came to Fushigi Yuugi, she was a rabid fan girl! She stared at the corner of the page. What harm could it do to pretend? She smiled widely, and gently turned the page.

"…" Nothing. She sighed; she knew nothing would happen, but still she had hoped… Then..!

"Oh my gawd..!" A red light shined brightly from the tome, and soon she could see nothing else around her. This couldn't be happening…right?

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**Author's note::** Please forgive the shortness of this chapter. I recently edited it, but took away more than adding to it... Either way, please note the following, as it's important if you wanna understand the upcoming chapters in the story: all names are derived from the manga series, not the anime. For example, Sou Kishuku becomes Xong Gui-siu, Konan becomes Hong-nan, and -ya know becomes -no da. And I wonder where that book came from..an early Christmas gift from Sandy Claws, mebe? xD


	2. Girl in Denial

**Chapter 2: Girl in denial** (_You've got it all wrong!_)

When the bright light finally subsided, the girl carefully sat up and opened her eyes slowly. She was sitting in the middle of a dirt pathway. She gasped and rubbed her eyes. When the imagery didn't change, her eyes began to water. How could this be possible?? I mean, she had dreamed of this for the last nine years of her life, but never had she been totally convinced that it would really happen…or at least not to her. She took in the scenery, her heart beating a mile a minute. She saw that she was near rice fields, and smiled as she saw the people working there. She was really in Ancient China! Well, a form of it anyway.

"Hey! Get out of the road! What are ya doing there, do you wanna get run over??"

She looked behind her and saw a horse pulling a man in a wagon full of straw.

"Whoa!!" She quickly stumbled out of the way and into the grass. "Jeez…I didn't realize, I guess, but at least I'm alive!"

The man stopped the wagon and looked over at her. She was wearing such strange clothing! Was she foreign? She seemed to speak the local language, but something was definitely off about her.

"Hey, Miss! You aren't from around here, are you?"

She stood up and shook her head. "You could say that…"

The man sighed. "Look, I'm headed toward the capital, myself; I can give you a ride if you want."

The girl thought it over. Of course there was the possibility that he would double-cross her, but being alone in this new place scared her more.

"Thanks, that'd be a big help."

She sat in silence for a while, watching the scenery go by.

"So, what's your name?" She jumped at the sudden break in silence.

"Um…", she thought about it for a moment, "I have a lot of nicknames, but you can call me Ayako, I guess."

"Ayako?" She nodded. "That's a strange name… Well, my name is Wong Kai-jun."

"Nice to meet you, Kai-jun", she said happily.

"So where exactly are you from, Ayako?"

"Well…it's a long story, and you probably wouldn't believe me, anyway."

"Try me." She blinked at him, then nodded.

She told him that she was from another world, and explained what it was like there. He listened in awe.

"Crazy, huh?"

"Not at all!" He looked very excited. "There is a legend about a young girl such as yourself, who would travel here from another world! She is said to appear when our country is in danger. She will gather the seven warriors of Suzaku, summon the beast god, and our kingdom will be saved!"

She shuffled her feet nervously. Of course she knew all about that, but she had to pretend otherwise for now.

"Really? That's some pretty amazing stuff…and you believe it?"

"You're here, aren't you?"

"Hehe. Got me there."

"Besides, I knew the legend was true the moment my younger nephew was born."

"Your nephew?" She blinked.

"Yes. You see, he is one of the seven stars of the beast god, Suzaku!"

She gasped, a look of shock written upon her face.

"You mean..?" He nodded, grinning like a child.

"His real name is Tao-hui, but his seishi name is--"

"Chiriko…"

"Eh? How'd you know?" He looked at her suspiciously.

"Just a lucky guess…we learned about the twenty-eight constellations back home; we being my friends and I."

"Oh, I see. That makes sense." He smiled again, and she sighed in relief; she would have to be more careful in the future. "He's only thirteen, and is somewhat small for his age."

"I see; and where is little Tao-hui now?" She smiled at the thought of meeting her 'little brother'.

"He lives in the Western part of Hong-nan, in the Shou-shuang prefecture."

"Hong-nan?" She drew a blank…she knew she ought to know where that was, but she just couldn't remember!

"Oh, right; Hong-nan is the nation we're in now."

"I see…" This disturbed her; the moment he explained, she remembered, but the fact that she forgot at all was what made no sense!

She closed her eyes tightly, shook her head, and made an effort to forget about it. Kai-jun chuckled to himself.

"I can't wait to write to Tao-hui and my sister-in-law that I met the Suzaku no miko! This is so exciting!" He grinned at her.

"What?? You've got it all wrong! I can't be the priestess of Suzaku!"

"Why not?" he asked, his smile faltering.

"I'd be no good at it…I mean, hasn't Miaka shown up yet?" Uh-oh…she let on that she knew something.

"Miaka? Who's that?"

"The Suzaku no miko!"

"I haven't heard anything about a priestess arriving before I met you today."

That was peculiar. Had Miaka just not shown up yet? Well she would, wouldn't she? She had to! Ayako had to get home to her family and friends; she was sure she would find no time to be a real priestess hen she would have to keep them out of trouble at the same time.

"Hey, look! There's the capital now!", he pointed, smiling and forgetting about their previous conversation. "Good ol' Rong-yang…I can take you to the emperor, if you want! I'm sure he'd be thrilled to meet the savior of his kingdom! Hehe, and once Tao-hui is finished with his exams, he can join you as Chiriko!" He looked at her; she was glowing in a bright red light that was beginning to spook his horse. "Easy, fella…" he cooed.

"I'm sorry, Kai-jun…you're sweet, and I'm glad I met you…"

She began to fade away.

"Hey, wait! AYAKO!!" It was too late, she was gone.


	3. Doorway Between Worlds

**Chapter 3: Doorway between worlds** (_Was it all a dream?_)

She reappeared in her room and waited for the surging power to subside. When it did, she sat up and looked down into the pages of the aged tome. She saw a picture of the horse-drawn wagon and a man and woman riding it.

"I'm sorry, Kai-jun…" she apologized to the image. It really wasn't fair for her to raise his hopes like that then just disappear. There ought to have been another copy of the novel in Japan's national library, right? And Ayako was sure that Miaka would find it and enter soon. After all, if the book was real, Miaka must be too, as well as Yui. Perhaps, she thought at first, the story would differ from copy to copy. She shook her head and chuckled at the foolish thought. Of course not; she had remembered that when the book was out of reach, Miaka was able to enter the very same world through the original scroll! Surely this was no different. She picked the book up and examined it for any sign of a barcode, then found herself laughing.

"Right, as if anyone would stock a girl-eating book in any book store!" As she thought, there was none.

She sighed. She didn't know how to feel about all this. Excitement was obvious, but fear quickly turned it into anxiousness. She began to shiver, though before it wasn't so cold. Now that she had entered its pages, she would have to see the story through to the end, right? But wait a minute, that wasn't so bad, was it? This is what she'd wanted for her entire life! She took a deep breath and tried to contain her newly regained excitement.

"I have to call Hikaru!!" She grabbed her phone; 8:20pm Tuesday October 28. Only a few minutes after she discovered the book in the study!

She picked up her cell phone and quickly dialed her 'sister's' number.

"Hello?"

"Hikaru-sama??"

"Ayako? What is it?"

"It's…oh my gawd!! I mean…jeez!"

"What? What's wrong??"

"It's the…the..!"

" 'It's the' what??"

"Book! It's..it's the book!!"

"What book? What are you talking about? Calm down and speak clearly.."

"It's real, it's the book…I mean, Fushigi Yuugi!"

"What are you talking about??" the teen's heart began to pound; her friend's words were beginning to get to her. "You mean the Universe of the Four Gods??"

"YES!!"

"How is that possible?? H-how do you know?"

"It's here! I found it on the floor wrapped in Christmas paper!"

"What?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's all real! The legend and everything! It sucked me in…I met a character!"

"Tamahome?"

"No, no…someone who wasn't in the manga or anime!"

"Who?"

"Chiriko-san's uncle!!"

"Oh my god…this is..this is amazing! I have to see this! I..it's not dangerous, is it?"

"Nothing happened to me."

"Have you called Seta?"

"Not yet…I called you first because of earlier."

"Ah..well, tell her! I'm sure she'll wanna hear about this too! Do you think we can go inside??"

"I don't see why not! The book calls for only two priestesses, but I'm sure it'll work…I hope. Can you come over tomorrow night??"

"I'm not sure…probably not, but I'll try for something like this."

"Kay, see ya then, Oneesama!"

"Sure, and hey! Ayako-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"If you're making this up..."

"I'm not! I swear!"

"Ok, then…talk to you later, sis."

She hung up and took a deep breath, smiling widely, before dialing their best friend's number. It rang a few times, then a woman's voice came on the phone.

"Helloo?"

"Hi, is Seta there?"

"Hold on."

"Thanks."

"…Herro?

"Seta-kun?" she asked, happily.

"Yosh!" responded the chibi friend.

"Yayz! Ok, I need you to come over tomorrow night for a sleepover, it's important!"

"Why?" she questioned, her voice still playfully cute.

"Weeeell…I sorta wanted to wait until you got here, but I guess I'll tell you now…" She paused to take a breath for the special words she would utter. "I found it..!"

"It?"

"The book."

"Nyao?"

"I called Hikaru-sama about it."

"Like, the ShiJinTenChiSho book?"

"She's coming over too, so you gotta!"

"…"

"Isn't this exciting??"

"Answer my question…"

"Eh?"

"Is it the Universe of the Four Gods?"

"Yes!"

"No way…" she whispered, her voice sounding more serious.

"Yes, way! I want to show you!!"

"Squee!"

"I know! I went inside for a bit, too!"

"Omg..!"

"Yeah! And I met this really nice guy, Kai-jun; he's Chiriko's uncle!! So are you coming??"

"I'll go ask Mom if she'll drive me--bee are bee!"

"Kay kayz!"

Ayako sat there for a few minutes, starting to daydream about the book.

"Yis!"

"Eh?" The girl had been caught off guard.

"She said I can come over!"

"Yayz!!"

"I know!"

"So what time will you head over?"

"Five-ish, maybe?"

"Awesome! See ya then, Seta-kun!"

"Bye, 'Yako-chan"

"Ja!" They hung up, and Ayako waited a few minutes before calling Hikaru back.

The oldest of the trio explained that she managed to convince her grandfather to let her take off work, something she didn't usually do, and that her dad agreed to take her after he got off work himself; around 5-6pm or so. After everything was sorted out, the two hung up, and the girl waited for sleep to come; the quicker tomorrow came, the better!

She did her chores without complaining, which took her about an hour. For once, she was thankful to wake up late; now there were only two hours until her friends arrived! They called to confirm their departure; apparently Hikaru's dad got caught up at work, so Seta's mom ended up driving them both. Perfect. Now she didn't have to wait in anticipation for longer than needed! Twenty minutes later, Seta's car pulled up, and two teenage girls shuffled out of the car while the third ran outside to greet them.

"Hey, guys!!" She hugged them both close, simultaneously.

"Thank you, Mrs. Aokaze!!" she cheered, making the mother-of-two smile and wave; Seta's younger sister made sure that the girl new of her existence, calling her name loudly. By the time the two drove off, the three friends were running through the house to get to Ayako's room as quickly as possible!

They all sat together on the floor where there was space, being it was a small room, and waited for Ayako to 'present the evidence'.

"Oook, first of all, does everyone have everything they need with them?"

The girls nodded, Hikaru wearing a rather large backpack and holding another, slightly smaller bag, and Seta holding her gym bag full of necessities. Ayako grabbed her own duffel bag, and laid the book in question on the floor in the middle of them.

"Omigawd, that…I mean, it's really..!" the oldest stammered.

"The book!!" the youngest gasped.

"Yes--it's the most amazing thing!" Ayako smiled, and they all nodded in agreement.

The two girls suddenly began to look nervous.

"Hey, c'mon, guys! It's a little shocking at first, but it's nothing to be scared of!" she tried to reassure them, but they weren't having it. Yes, they were excited beyond all reason, but something was holding them back.

They nodded in defeat, realizing that her words were true. Hikaru reached for the book, being the one who knew the most Chinese of the three as well as being the oldest, 'leader type'. Instinctively, they all held their bags closer to themselves, and Ayako went behind the other two, and wrapped her arms around both of them, her own bag over her shoulder.

"The one who reads it through…will be given powers and granted a wish like the girl in the story…because the story begins and becomes real the moment the first page is turned..!" She hesitated before slowly turning to a kanji-filled page. They all braced themselves, shutting their eyes tightly; but when they opened them, they were still in Ayako's small, crowded room. Hikaru sighed, and closed the book. "Well, it was a nice idea…"

Hikaru and Seta looked down-hearted…Ayako was just confused.

"But…I was just there! I don't understand!"

"Just let it go; you probably had a crazy dream after finding this replica, or something."

Was it all a dream? Then, suddenly, she realized. It was so obvious, she had no idea how she'd missed it!

"Guys, wait…let's try one last time, I have an idea." The oldest sighed, wanting to get over it and move on, but opened the book again, anyway. "Keep turning pages until you reach a blank one…"

Hikaru held her breath; there might actually be a chance. She did as she was told, and found a very blank page rather quickly. Suddenly, kanji characters began to form on the parchment, making the two 'new' girls gasp.

"…the three girls…", she could barely bring herself to read further, "opened the doorway to another world, continuing the adventure started by the unsuspecting priestess…"

She nearly choked on the words, not sure what to make of it, when suddenly…

"AHHH!!" They all shrieked, even Ayako, as the familiar, warm, red light enveloped them, transporting them between worlds.


	4. Rabid Popularity

**Chapter 4: Rabid Popularity** (_Come one, come all!_)

They kept their eyes tightly shut through the exhilarating process, and this time when they opened them, they were in a small alleyway of a bustling, ancient-Chinese city. They stood up, brushing the dirt off of their clothes, and looked around.

"Rong-yang!" Ayako cheered, smiling more than ever.

"Alright, so where to from here, Ayako-chan?"

"Kai-jun said he was headed here; maybe he's still around."

"Ok, so where do we find him?"

"…Um..I..kinda left before he told me exactly where he was going…" She chuckled nervously as her big sister sighed in exasperation.

"Great going. Ok, I guess it's time for me to take charge. The best thing for us to do right now is find an inn to stay at; from there, we can argue on how to get into the palace."

"And how are we going to pay for this?" Seta stated in her serious, adult tone; she succeeded in intimidating her friend, slightly, and turned to the other girl. "You're the only one who knows what he looks like; even if he doesn't have a house here, we can still possibly borrow some currency from him to get us by for now. Or, even better, he can get us directly into the palace, saving us a lot of trouble."

"Alright; I guess we can ask around to see if anyone's seen him."

"Right, and let's not be naiive in how we go about asking; nobody mentions his name, ok? Or they'll have the chance to trick us." Hikaru commanded, regaining her authoritative position.

They asked around for a good thirty minutes, without much luck, and were about ready to return to the inn idea.

"Maybe we can work off the cost in the kitchen, or something…" Ayako suggested.

"Have you heard? They say the priestess of Suzaku has appeared!" shouted a gossiper to a small crowd beginning to form.

"That's right, and she's dressed in foreign clothing like in the legends!" a woman shouted in response.

"Hey, guys, it looks like Miaka appeared after all!" Ayako stated.

Hikaru blinked; was her friend really so slow?

"Think again. Listen to what they're saying."

She did, and her eyes widened at what she heard.

"And do you see those three over there? They're dressed so strangely! Do you suppose the Suzaku no miko is one of them?"

"Maybe…I heard that she vanished in a red light a few days ago when she was with that farmer!"

"You mean the one from the Wong family?"

"Yeah, I think his name was…Kai- something."

"Kai-jun!" Ayako exclaimed, standing beside the two currently engaged in conversation. Hikaru smacked her own forehead, and sighed. Obviously, this whole ordeal was wearing on Ayako's brain cells.

"Yeah, that's the one! So you've heard the rumour, too…?" the man slowly turned his head and gasped when he saw that she fit the description to a tee. "You!"

"Eh? Me?" she backed away slowly.

"She's the one, the priestess of Suzaku!" the female gossiper shouted, carelessly.

Her eyes widened as everyone crowded around the trio.

"It's true-look at those clothes!"

"Yes; the priestess of Suzaku! We're saved!" they all cheered.

A man walked casually by, eyeing the crowd suspiciously. Had he heard correctly? The priestess had finally arrived… He blew a stray hair from his face, and made his way through to see for himself. He chuckled to himself and folded his hands behind his head.

"So, which one of you is the priestess?" he asked, confidently.

The three turned around to face him. Something was strangely familiar about this man; he was tall, slightly tanned, had dark teal hair tied back in a rat's tail, and wore blue clothing.

"You..you're..um", Ayako tried to remember his identity, but thinking about it gave her a headache. She saw that the others were having just as much trouble, and let it go with a sigh.

"I'm what, good looking? Haha", he laughed at his own joke; the girls rolled their eyes. "My name is Xong Gui-siu, or just Tamahome."

"Nice to meet you, Tamahome…" Hikaru said, warily. It didn't click, but something told her that something was off with this guy.

"Gonna tell me who you guys are? Which one's the miko?"

Hikaru and Seta pointed at Ayako, who suddenly wished she was invisible.

"I'm Ayako…" she introduced herself, seeing as the others were being quiet, "This is Seta, and that's Hikaru; she's my twin, sorta."

"Sorta?"

"Yeah, well…a really close friend I've known all my life."

"Who's very protective of her little sister and best friend", Hikaru added, somewhat harshly; hopefully this Tamahome-person wouldn't start anything with them if she showed authority.

"Well, Ayako-miko-sama, I'm willing to offer you my services…for the small fee of 1 gold ryou" he said, smiling widely.

The crowd gasped, and Hikaru narrowed her eyes. Expensive or not, 1 gold ryou was more than they could afford right now.

"No thank you."

"What? Why?"

"We don't have that kind of money."

"Eh? I always figured the priestess was rich…" He sighed, looking annoyed. "What's the point, then?" he mumbled to himself. "Oh well, good luck fulfilling the prophecy on your own, penny-pinchers!" he shouted, running off into the crowd.

"Jeez, what was that all about?" Seta scoffed.

"Um, excuse me, Lady Priestess?" A man said, tapping Ayako's shoulder.

"Kai-jun was here about a week ago; he stayed at my inn. He seemed really excited, saying that you'd return, and it looks like he was right. For him, and because you're the miko, I can let you and your friends stay for a night, free of charge", he said, smiling kindly. He was kind of old, maybe in his late fifties, and he seemed earnest enough.

She looked at her friends, who nodded happily.

"Alright. Thank you, sir."

They followed him down the busy street, thankful that he didn't lead them off the main road to any suspicious back-roads or alley-ways or something. The came across a rather large building, a couple of blocks from the palace, that had a kanji sign on it that read 'The Chicken Roost', as Hikaru had translated.

"You arrived just in time for our 'Month of the Rooster' sale! Everything is half-off, and if you buy one plate of chicken, you get another free! It ends tomorrow at midnight, so you really did make in the nick of time.", he advertised, proudly.

Ayako rolled her eyes; it was hard to believe that someone in Hong-nan, a form of Ancient China, was trying to sell them something…even if it did sound appetizing.

"We don't have any money from this world at the moment, so we'll have to go without the meal", Seta explained.

"That won't do; what will people think if I let the Suzaku no miko stay at my tavern without feeding her and her entourage? My rates would go down! How about this: I'll get you in a free supper if you work off the cost and you can still have the room for the night; how does that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful! Would we be cooking or cleaning?" Ayako asked.

"Well, I'd be more comfortable if you cleaned or served the customers, unless one of you is a particularly good cook.."

"I can cook pretty well", the oldest admitted.

"Alright; you've got the job as long as I can taste test before we serve."

"Sure."

"Lady Priestess"

"Yes?"

"I want you to serve the customers.""Wha? Why me?"

"Because we'll attract many more people that way! Just think how my business would flourish if word got around that the priestess of Suzaku was greeting people at The Chicken Roost…ahh, all the rooms and tables would be filled with happy, hungry people!" He seemed to be lost in his own daydream, and Ayako sighed.

"Seta, will you be alright with cleaning?"

"I guess so…"

"Ok..I guess I'll do it, then."

"Excellent!"

As they walked in, he announced their presence, and everyone, customers and servers alike, ran to greet their new miko, excitedly. The old man, who's name was Yu-hai 酉孩 (coincidentally meaning 'Rooster Child') urged the three into the kitchen, having an employee fetch suitable clothes for them, eager to get to work.

"Alright, Miss; show me what you can do!"

"Uh..what do you want me to cook?"

"There are the ingredients-fix for me a plate of eggs, white rice, sesame chicken, and vegetables."

"Ok. How do you like your eggs?" She took the uniform from the other employee, as did the others, and put it on over her clothes and rolled up the sleeves.

"Thoroughly cooked, but not burnt."

"No, I mean…do you like them scrambled, sunny-side up...an omelet, maybe?" He looked at her strangely. "I think I'll just scramble them…" He hadn't a clue what she was talking about, but he patted her on the back and showed her to her station.

"Hey Seta", Ayako whispered, "I was just thinking…why is it we can understand them? I mean, at least in Miaka's case, the book was translated into Japanese, but this is Ancient China, the people are speaking English, and I dun think WE have a translation of the ShiJinTenChiSho…do we?"

"I dunno, but good question."

"Ok, there aren't many dishes to be washed as of right now; we're running a tad slow today. There is your station, and there should be plenty of water in the back", he pointed to a door leading outside from the kitchen, "If you get lost, just ask one of the employees to guide you in the right direction", he said, referring to both of them. "Now, I'd like you to come with me, Miko-sama!"

He took Ayako by the shoulders after she had put her robe on over her own clothes and urged her into the other room where many 'rabid fans' awaited. Needless to say, she was terrified, but if it meant a free meal for her and her friends, then it was worth it.

"Ok, just stand right here and hand the customers these menus; be sure to greet them politely!"

She nodded, taking the menus from him, feeling a little awkward. Yu-hai went outside, and began calling to all people in sight.

"Attention! Come one, come all! Today is the last day of the Month of the Rooster! Come feast at half the cost, and for travelers, rent a room for only a silver ryou! And for those of you who aren't convinced, come see the new seating hostess-it's none other than our kingdom's savior, the Suzaku no miko!"

That got their attention. More people than could fit inside the inn gathered to try and squeeze there way inside to meet the priestess; they could care less about the food, but decided they had no choice in the 'pay to stay' atmosphere. A soldier who had just finished his shift at the palace found himself turning back as fast as his feet would carry him. The emperor needed to hear the good news!

* * *

**Author's note::** I just wanted to say thank you to Gundamfanatic123 and Jill who gave me good reviews. Just wanted to say that I AM working on this next chapter, but I'm having a tiny touch of writer's block xD;; I want it to be unique, but not TOO far out :P Wish me luck, guys! :D


	5. Impulsive Decisions

**Chapter 5: Impulsive Decisions** (_Who're you calling peasant?_)

Yu-hai was utterly satisfied with Hikaru's cooking, telling her that she would make a fine chef if she decided to stay; he would pay her a salary that would keep her off the streets for a while. Seta wasn't too happy with her cleaning job, especially now that dirty dishes were piling to the ceiling with all those customers crowding around her friend. Ayako found her position just as annoying and awkward as Seta's, and prayed that closing time would come soon.

After hours of labor, the manager finally ushered the many fans and customers out the door, Ayako saying a formal goodbye that she'd been instructed to say, and the doors were locked. Now, finally, the only people left were those who were planning to stay the night, and Yu-hai handed the three girls their room key.

"Great job, you three! Business was fantastic, and we made more money than we have in months!" He bowed before them, "I want to thank you for your help…" He pulled a small satchel full of ryou and handed it to Ayako. Most of the money was copper, but there were a few silver pieces floating around.

"Thanks, but I thought the whole point of all that work was to pay off dinner…"

"You repaid your debt the moment the crowds came through the door; the three of you surpassed my expectations completely."

Ayako bowed in thanks, and her friends followed suit. They took off the uniforms, and turned them in before heading upstairs. Their room was at the end of the hall on the right; their window faced the palace, which was lit up beautifully in the night. Ayako couldn't resist pulling out the camera she'd packed to take pictures of it and the rest of the city. After a few shots, she put the camera away and they changed into their night clothes, climbing into the large bed, their belongings on the floor between the bed and the wall.

The soldier was commanded to confirm the priestess's identity; there was no use in exciting the emperor over a silly rumor. He spent hours just trying to get in to the inn, and only barely managed to rent the last room. It was tiring, and he needed a rest.

"Two birds, one stone", he said with a chuckle. It was closing time, and he was thankful that he hadn't been kicked out with the rest of the crowd, seeing as he would have missed the fact that the three girls were wearing such foreign garments. He also noted the fact that the innkeeper referred to one of the girls as the priestess.

She had long, dark brown hair, a pale complexion, and strikingly blue eyes. The tallest, and youngest, according to the rumors, had light brown, wavy hair nearly as long as the miko's; she was pale as well, though slightly more pink, and her eyes were almost golden. She seemed to be the most serious of the three. The third girl was the same height as the miko, and was slightly tanner than the other two. Her hair was short and dark, barely touching her shoulders, and her eyes were a creamy, chocolate color. He wasn't sure why there were three of them, but he had seen more than enough.

Deciding he wasn't so tired after all, he gave his room to a 'rabid fan girl' of sorts, who took the offer gladly, and slipped out of the building. This time he had been smart enough to bring a horse with him, and he took it from the stable and rode it back to the palace; it wasn't like it was far, but the emperor would want to hear the news right away.

The regally dressed man delicately brushed his long, brown hair, careful to take in every detail as he gazed into his reflection. He was a rare beauty, he knew; it was the royal blood that flowed in his veins. Every emperor from his great-grandfather to himself was a stunning beauty; a perfect example of elegance and grace, and blessed by Suzaku himself. He sighed, and wondered if he would one day meet a maiden as beautiful as he. Perhaps he would take her on as his bride-he shook his head; all the bickering about a future empress an heir was beginning to get to him. He would marry when the time was right, and he found the right girl. He had someone in mind, in fact, but he was beginning to believe her a figment of his own imagination, a distant dream that would never come true…

There was a rapping at the door.

"Highness! Your Majesty, please come at once, it's urgent!"

The young emperor's heart began to pound; was his country under attack? He didn't bother putting his hair up into his crown as he rushed out of his bedroom chambers and down the halls, following the councilman to the throne room. As he sat down, he breathed slowly, regaining his elegance.

"What is all the fuss, Councilman?" he asked, brilliantly.

"Sire, one of the palace guards has reported that the priestess of Suzaku has arrived!"

"What?" He was unable to keep his cool; it must be fate that she appeared in his world just as he was daydreaming about her!

"He claims that he saw her with two other foreigners in a local tavern."

"I see…" he muttered to himself, "We are going to inspect our city, tomorrow at dawn before the festival; prepare our palanquin at once! We must see with our own eyes if this priestess is legitimate."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Lady priestess?"

Ayako sat up, wearily. She had gotten very little sleep on the would-be-comfy bed between her buddies. Hikaru's snoring kept her awake for most of the night, and apparently it had disturbed Seta as well, because she rolled over constantly all night. Yawning, she climbed over her sister and walked slowly to the door, opening it to reveal a maid of sorts.

"Yes?"

"Oh my, you look terrible! Did you have trouble sleeping?"

"You could say that…"

"Well, I was calling to let you know that the emperor is having a surprise inspection in the form of a parade today! It would be a perfect opportunity to meet him and begin your journey as the Suzaku no miko, right?"

"I guess so", she mumbled, yawning again, "I guess I gotta wake those two up, huh? When does this place open?"

"At 9 o'clock."

"What time is it now?"

"7am."

"I see…" She yawned for the third time.

"Would you like me to get you some coffee?"

"You have coffee here?"

"Yes..?"

"I guess I'll try some, thanks."

"Right away, Miss", she said, bowing as she closed the door.

Ayako looked back at her sleeping friends. It wasn't usually too difficult to get Hikaru up, and it seemed like she was partially awake, seeing as the snoring had stopped, but it was an absolute death wish to wake up Seta, ESPECIALLY this early in the morning. She decided she'd let them sleep in a bit; after all, the parade wouldn't start for a few hours.

"I've brought your coffee and some milk to stir in with it, if you'd like", she said, pleasantly.

"Thanks…um, what's your name, anyway?"

"Kai-yen", she set the tray on the bedside table.

The smell of the beverage drifted to the girl's nose, causing her to sigh, happily. She felt a little more awake already, and even Hikaru stopped snoring! At first she thought she was awake, but the snoring started up again after the first sip. She decided to let them sleep in; Seta, especially would need it.

"Do you like it?" Kai-yen chuckled.

"Very much!"

"The best part is that it's made from the finest coffee bean in the country; you won't have to worry about a bitter taste or bottoming out later on", she informed.

Ayako poured a tiny amount of milk in to cool it. It certainly wasn't bitter. For once, it was a coffee that tasted as good as it smelled! She was definitely more than impressed.

"Hmm…maybe I'll start drinking coffee like this everyday", she smiled at the thought.

There was a banging on the front door, downstairs.

"Wonder what's going on…" Ayako followed the waitress downstairs to investigate.

They found Yu-hai there, talking to someone from outside."Already? I-I'm not prepared, yet!" He turned around, and sighed as he saw the two standing there. "The emperor has decided to start his inspection, early; I've been informed that he'll still be staying throughout the parade, but he seems to be anxious; perhaps he's heard your rumor?"

Ayako felt uneasy at the words "your rumor", but nodded. She was still in her pajamas, and she'd have to hurry to freshen herself up! She ran back upstairs and quietly grabbed her bag, closing the door behind her as she went into the other room in the suite to change. She really didn't have any clothes suitable for meeting an emperor, or being a priestess, for that matter, but she dug through her things to find something nice. She decided finally upon a simple sundress, plaid in green yellow and different shades of denim-like blue; it ended at her knees, and was perfect for the heat of the post-summer in this world, grabbing a pair of sandals she'd borrowed and ended up keeping from Seta. She hurriedly brushed her teeth and hair, almost simultaneously, and put her hair up into a high ponytail with a black scrunchy. Figuring she really wouldn't need to take anything else with her, she put her things back up and snuck past her snoozing friends before hurrying back downstairs.

Yu-hai seemed to have gotten ready in record time as well, and put his 'noblest' hat atop his head before ushering Ayako and Kai-yen out the door.

"We must hurry! I'm sure he's leaving the palace now, so we should go to the square!"

They followed him at a swift pace down the busy street, nearing the palace. Everyone was excited about the parade, all dressed in their most elaborate clothes. Elephants seemed to dance down the street with acrobats atop them, juggling with their feet, eating swords, and breathing fire. She marveled at all of the amazing feats being performed around her, unintentionally slowing her pace to a near stop.

"Wow…I don't think I've ever seen anything like this outside of movies; even the circus back home isn't this crazy!" she chuckled, and was surprised at the silence beside her.

She turned around, and both Yu-hai and Kai-yen were missing! She panicked, looking all around for some sign of them. She walked up to a guy in the crowd.

"Excuse me, have you seen-" The man brushed her off and returned to what he was doing. "How rude..."

She saw a group of teenage girls. "Hey! Have you seen the-"

"Who is she talking to?" one girl asked rudely to one of her companions.

"Who? I don't see anyone.."

"A slightly younger girl in the group chuckled under her breath, and the tallest one moved their group away, slightly, shooing Ayako away like a pest. She found herself unable to resist 'giving them the bird' before pushing her way through the crowd; apparently she could trust only herself with this task. Fine. She was so frustrated that she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings.

"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going?" She stiffened, thinking the harsh question was directed at her, and looked up. A scrawny little girl covered in dirt as well as ragged and holey, pink clothes with tangled, dark blue hair sat on the ground, frightened as she stared into the eyes of a guard who was carrying the emperor's palanquin!

"I..I..!"

"You what? What if I had tripped over your filth and dropped this? Do you know who's inside? The emperor, Missy! If anything happens to him, we're ALL screwed! I ought to knock your head off for that!" He handed his portion of the load to another guard in the entourage, and drew his sword. "In fact, I think I will; it'll teach all of you homeless scum where your place is!" He rose his sword high, and she acted completely on impulse, no longer able to hear what was going on around her.

Adrenaline was pulsing through her veins, and she was so enraged that her eyebrows forgot to twitch! With all of her might, she shoved her body into that of the soldier's, knocking him to the ground, and sending his sword skidding off. She quickly made a move to grab it, and aimed the tip directly at his throat. As expected, the other guards reacted quickly, moving to surround her.

"Hurry, run!" The little girl snapped out of her tear-filled shock, nodded, and quickly got up, running to the nearest alleyway to watch as her savior was about to be apprehended.

"Move one step closer, and I'll knock his head off!"

"Excuse me, but what right have you to treat my captain of the guard this way?" spoke a confused, yet gentle voice from the palanquin. Ayako felt another surge of rage; so this was how the emperor treated his subjects.

"What right have you to kill an innocent girl for being at the wrong place at the wrong time? It's a pop on the butt then send her on her way, not "off with her head"! I don't care what you do with me, but if this is how Hong-nan's Emperor treats his loyal and loving subjects, then I don't want to fight for him!"

The emperor, unable to see clearly out of the palanquin, and only able to hear her because of her elevated voice furrowed his eyebrows, confused.

"What do you mean? We love our people dearly…"

"Sure, maybe the rich people who can afford to pay taxes, but what about the rest of us?" Her train of thought slipped into a situation where she would be telling off a corrupt president rather than an emperor who could-and probably would, at this point, kill her at a whim.

Suddenly, she began glowing red again, frightening the guards away, and the C.o.t.G., who was unlucky enough to be beneath her, found himself screaming bloody murder.

The two girls who had been fast asleep slowly opened their eyes, and looked out the window; there was a very bright, red light shining through that didn't seem like sunrise or set to them. It took a moment to register, then Hikaru's heart began to quicken, and Seta's palms started to sweat.

"Oh no…"

The two quickly hopped to their feet, and grabbed their bags, expecting to be sent back to their world.

"I wonder what set it off this time…" Seta pondered aloud.

"I hope Ayako's alright.." The teen nodded, and they waited.

Ayako found herself floating momentarily in a black and white atmosphere with strange, red beads of warm light swarming around her; it seemed so surreal! She saw strange images in her head in what seemed to be random patterns. She saw Hikaru crying in a place she'd never seen before, but judging by the electronics around her, she guessed it was their world. Then she saw Seta turn away, hiding tears her own tears in another unfamiliar place; she couldn't tell which world. She shielded her eyes as she saw herself wearing armor, wielding a sword, and being fatally wounded on an Ancient Chinese battlefield…it looked like there had been a massacre, and the bodies of comrades lay all around her. She saw incredibly fast images of barely familiar people flash through her mind, most of them being killed, and others badly wounded. She wasn't sure how much more she could take, and gave a piercing scream that seemed to echo back and forth all around her-

"Sire, the witch seems to have fainted, as well as the captain!"

"…Bring her to our palace; this parade is finished!"

"Yes sir!"

"And be sure to apprehend our captain, as well; place them both in the dungeon. We must ponder upon a proper punishment…"

They did as they were told, and carried both limp bodies behind the palanquin. Everyone was shocked, amazed, frightened, and disappointed at what had just occurred, and recovered before returning to their homes to prepare for what they had no idea would become the most important day in history.

They burst through the door, almost forgetting to lock it, and hurried up the stairs to alert the others! Politely stopping to knock on the door, Yu-hai and Kai-yen found themselves shouting over each other to tell the tale of what had just happened to their friend.

"I'm afraid they'll kill her! She seemed so sweet, and what'll happen if our own emperor murders the girl who would be our savior? I can't bear to think of what Qu-dong will do to us…" Suddenly feeling sick, he hurried downstairs as Kai-yen continued, in a much calmer tone, to make sense of his words to the confused girls.

Hikaru was perplexed…she'd always felt protective of her little sister, but how could she fight an emperor and win? Seta remained silent, not knowing what to say, and thinking hard for a plan that would work to bail her best friend out.

Strange, yet much more friendly images ran through Ayako's mind, now, reminding her of the good times she and her friends had at school and after; even the hardships seemed sweet in hindsight. A small tear trickled down her cheek, and she was sad to find out that it was merely a dream. She kept her eyes closed, trying to hold on to what was left of the happy thoughts, but found it hard to concentrate when water was dripping on her face constantly. Was it raining? What was she doing sleeping outside? Then she remembered yelling at the emperor, and stiffened up. Her eyes popped open, and she saw that she was in a leaky cell. She was about to panic; after what she'd done, the emperor would kill her for sure! Her actions seemed, now, to be incredibly foolish, and her cowardly nature returned to her.

She clung to the bars, looking around frantically for an exit.

"Let me out! I'm sooorry!" She cried, sniffling constantly.

"Shut up, witch! I got orders from His Majesty."

"Please don't kill me…I have a life to live, and my friends have no idea where I am! Oh my gawd…my poor parents when they realize I'm not coming home ever..!" Tears were streaming down her face, and she found it hard to see through her watery eyes when the guard struck her to silence her. She crawled to the back of the cell, curling up into fetal position. She was shaking horribly, now; her hair and clothes were soaked and dirty, making it seem even colder than it was. She prayed that she would be rescued somehow.

"I can't believe we're doing this…"

"Shut up, it was your idea!"

"I hope they came up with a good diversion…"

"We're this far, aren't we? Don't chicken out on me, now; Ayako-chan needs us!"

"I know."

"You know she'd never abandon us."

"I know…"

The two girls crawled through the tiny space in pitch black. It was damp and slimy; something neither of them really appreciated.

"Ew! Gross gross GROSS!" Hikaru whispered harshly; she had just fallen into the sludge, and was thoroughly disgusted by its texture and was even less impressed by its smell.

"Hey, don't you chicken out either." Seta warned; they were gonna do this together willingly, or she'd use force.

"I know!" she stuck her tongue out, and her companion pretended not to see.

"Hey, what's this..?"

"What's what?" Hikaru asked cutely.

"It feels kinda unstaaableeeee!"

"Ahhhhhh!"

They both fell through the floor, landing right on top of someone. It was the soldier guarding their best friend's cell, and they'd knocked him flat out!

"Lucky!" Hikaru cheered, still quiet, though their cover was or would probably be blown soon.

"Ayako-chan!" Seta called, as cautious as her crazy friend.

"Seta-kun..Oneesama?" Her voice was hoarse from the atmosphere and sobbing. She stood up, wobbly, and ran to the cell, smiling hopelessly at her best friend. "Seta-kun!" She attempted to hug her through the bars, but her older friend quickly intervened.

"Don'tchya think that can wait?" She held up the keys, jingling them and chuckling madly.

After they got her out, the three girls ran quickly up the stairs, hoping with all their might not to run into anymore guards. They realized there was no way they could climb all the way up to the vent they'd found, and Hikaru was more than ecstatic to find an alternative.

Two women of the harem walked through the elaborate hall. One was radiantly beautiful with long, wavy, amethyst hair that surely reached her ankles, hazel-pink eyes, and a lovely beauty mark under her right left (sort of like Hikaru's); the other girl was significantly less gorgeous, but had a young, pretty charm and air about her with her light brown hair, emerald green eyes, and fair skin. They both put their hands and sleeves over their noses as the trio approached.

"My gawd, what is that smell?" The purple-haired maiden asked, seemingly in pain from the scent.

"Y-you don't think there are rats in the palace, do you..?"

"Are you crazy, Yun-li? Do you think that His Majesty would tolerate such filth?"

"Yes, but…Kang-lin-sama, what else would smell this awful?"

The girls rounded the corner, Ayako bumping straight into the one called Kang-lin.

The woman froze stiff at the contact and the look upon Yun-li's visage. She turned around slowly to find the dirtiest, most ugly, most filthy chamber maid she'd ever seen!

"Oh, it's a rat alright", she said, insultingly, narrowing her eyes as she saw the other two. "Hmm.."

"But Highness, please!"

"No! We've made our decision! Bring the girl to my chambers; we believe her to be the girl of legend, and would like to ask her personally to save our nation."

The old councilman sighed, and nodded his head.

"Yes, Highness."

"Oh, and Kan-kun, be sure to demote our captain of the guard; we believe we have found someone much more suitable for the position."

"Yes, Highness!" At this, Councilman Kan-kun was much more excited; he had found the usually drunken soldier to be quite rude and disrespectful, not to mention lacking traditional values and common sense. "Right away!"

Moments later, the guard who had been knocked out came running into the throne-room.

"Sire!" he began, utterly out of breath, "The witch…it's..! The girl, she's…" He stopped to breathe; the young emperor stood up, concerned for the man.

"She's what?" he asked in a kind tone.

"She's escaped from the cell! I believe she had outside help, considering something really hit mah head hard. I'm still seeing stars!"

"Guards, find her at once!" he commanded to all who were in the room, "And bring her to my chambers, straight away!"

They all scrambled to do as they were told.

"I-I'm sorry, I…I didn't mean to…I mean, I didn't see you!"

"Yes, yes, whatever. But honestly, a peasant should find a way to keep herself clean, regardless of status…"

"Huh..?" Ayako was confused.

"Who're you calling peasant?" Hikaru demanded, getting right in the slightly taller woman's face.

"You can't expect me to believe you're anything but."

"Watch who you're talking to! That's my little sister you're insulting, and you really don't wanna get on the bad side of the prie-!" Seta grabbed her mouth, muffling her.

"She's always like this; thinks she's gonna take over the world some day, but whatever makes her happy, right?" she spoke, calmly.

"Hmm…" Kang-lin narrowed her eyes; she had an idea of what the snot-nosed brat was going to say, and if she was right, well…it wasn't really important. She started at a guard who happened to be running down the hall adjacent to theirs.

He stopped in his tracks at the awful, musty smell, and looked at the two women he saw, perplexed.

"H-have you seen a strange woman running around? We arrested her earlier today, but she managed to escape the dungeon…his majesty wishes to speak with her in private!"

Her eyes widened at this; he couldn't be talking about one of those grimy-nasty girls, could he? Perhaps the one who bumped into her… She almost laughed at the silliness of it, and was about to turn them in, when it hit her-the emperor wanted to speak to her privately?

"No, we've seen no such woman. Of course we'll alert you the moment we notice anything strange!" she batted her eyes as she said this, making the guard cringe; he knew that this particular maiden was capable of insane feats of strength, and he was terrified by the familiar look in those eyes…they thirsted for blood.

"R-right! And…um…ya might wanna go take a strong-incensed bath, while you're at it!" He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, but he was unable to escape a chair being flung into his head. "Dammit…"

Kang-lin angrily whirled around, intimidating Ayako, who was already shaking from head to toe.

"You? You're the Suzaku no miko? You scrawny, little, disgusting wench?"

"Please don't hand us over…" she pleaded; it was barely a whisper. Kang-lin regained her posture, and looked somewhat calm.

"Of coooourse, not; do you take me as the traitor-type?" she asked, coyly, the evil look still evident in her eyes. "I won't turn you in…provided you do a little job or two for me."

Ayako nodded before the others could stop her.

"Very good. Come with me; first we need to get you cleaned and into some decent clothes."

"Great going, 'Yako-chan…" Hikaru mumbled; Seta simply remained silent, which was a very bad sign.

Ayako sighed. "I'm in hell, aren't I..?"

* * *

**Author's Note::** Phew! This chapter was a real doozy! But at least I got some nifty stuff in mind for chapter 6 -wink wink, nudge nudge- lolz. Read and Review, please :D -hearts-


	6. Gangs and Legends

**Chapter 6: Gangs and Legends** (_These men really are idiots..._)

The man stood against the condemned building. He couldn't believe that they'd put him out of business! That inn was his life…

"You should consider yourselves fortunate. Usually the punishment for breaking out prisoners or even simply being an accomplice would mean a beheading."

Yu-hai gave a death stare, but said nothing. Kai-yen looked up sadly at her former boss then down at the ground.

"Don't worry, sir; Ayako-miko-sama will definitely not abandon us!" He nodded and sat on the ground, looking up at the sky.

Had they gotten out safely? Did they abandon them, returning to their own world?

"Put your backs into it!" came the harsh and all to familiar command.

The two girls scrubbed as hard as they could, trying to get every last spec of dirt off the floor. Hikaru had half a mind to pour some of the filthy, soapy water into the god-awful woman's drink, but decided against it, seeing as she might lose a limb or two. Already she had received injuries from the mad lady's 'claws', and wasn't interested in ending up in the Hong-nan equivalent of an E.R.

"You! Yuck-oh girl!"

"It's Ayako!"

"Same thing. I want this floor clean enough to eat off of, or you won't get any supper! Icky-roo!"

"Hikaru!"

"You answered to it, didn't you? Now, you've done enough for today. You know what I said about being dirty, and there's no point in trying to clean when all you're doing is spreading the filth!"

"She's not the only one spreading filth…" Ayako muttered under breath.

"Go take a bath. And you, watch your tongue! You're speaking to the future empress."

"Oh, joy. Forgive me, Your royal Majesty", she spat, sarcastically.

"What was that?"

"Just thinking about how lucky the corrupt emperor must be to have such a twisted, sick dominatrix for a bride. What a lovely couple you'll make, killing and working all the peasants to death just because they walk down the street, or fall to the ground and get a little dirty."

The wine glass that Kang-lin held shattered in her grip, the shards turning to dust before they could pierce her flesh. She took a handful of the ignorant girl's robes and pulled her close, making her almost regret her words.

"I can forgive almost anything you say about me, but I will not forgive anyone who says such things about His Majesty! I don't give a crap what happened to you out there, you have no right to speak of him that way!"

"He was going to kill a little girl! She was almost trampled as is, and the captain of the guard tried to behead her!"

Kang-lin's eyes seemed to widen for a moment, but the same angry face was there after a quick blink, and she dropped Ayako back to the floor.

"The so called captain of the guard is scum, anyway. His Highness demoted him from the palace the other day because of his impertinence."

Ayako gasped and her stomach seemed to twist with the news, making her nauseous. She'd said such horrible things to the emperor, and they weren't even deserved…

"I'm sorry...I'll work as best as I can." she stood up and bowed before her, surprising both girls. Why was she suddenly so obedient? It was suspicious.

"Highness, we've been searching the kingdom for days! I don't think she's even in this world anymore-she's abandoned us!"

"We frightened her off…" he corrected. He shut his eyes, momentarily, then nodded, "No, she's within the palace walls, we can feel it!"

The emperor stood up and walked out of the throne room; he had an idea.

The floor was finally spotless, and Ayako sighed in relief; her muscles hurt, and she was sure she felt the beginnings of blisters on her palms. She walked by the room where Hikaru was reluctantly brushing Kang-lin's hair as she conversed with the slightly luckier Seta. Apparently, Seta was the only one of the three girls with whom she could have an intelligent, civilized conversation with. Hikaru was a tad jealous, to say the least; it was unfair that she and her sister had to do work while their best friend got special treatment from a psycho.

"Ouch! You're gonna rip it out of my scalp!" Kang-lin splashed water on Hikaru's face. "Perhaps if you were a little more like your friend here, you wouldn't have to work so much! Can't say the same about the brat, though."

She was about to let her have it, when Seta made quite a distracting comment.

"Where is Ayako-chan..?"

"…"

"…"

The girl had slipped into the dress and sandals she'd managed to save from being destroyed. She'd hand-washed them herself, and was feeling pretty good about herself because of it. She decided to take a break and sneak around the palace. Sure, it seemed silly and foolish, but she knew her way around the 'safe' parts by now. She found herself rounding a corner leading to an unfamiliar corridor. Somehow she had taken a wrong turn and ended up in the courtyard! How could she not have noticed before now? She began to feel a little uneasy, and checked over her shoulders constantly, looking out for danger or a way out.

"Excuse me, but you seem lost."

She froze instantly; the voice seemed to come from a woman to her left. The maiden had beautiful, long, brown hair and sparkling eyes of gold. She wore a white cloak over herself, holding it delicately to keep it from falling off.

"Umm…"

"Wait a moment…you aren't, perhaps, the girl that the emperor arrested the other day, are you?"

That was it, she was done for! Maybe if she ran fast enough, she could escape before the guards arrived to re-arrest her. She backed away slowly.

"No, wait! I won't expose you! I was merely curious…" She walked up to Ayako, and peered down into her eyes.

The girl was enchanted by the woman's appearance and kindness that was evident through her tone of voice. She found herself blushing, and looked down quickly to calm herself. She'd tell herself that it was just a girl, but that wouldn't make any real difference since she was mostly bi-mostly instead of fully because she'd only dated a girl once, and her mother had broken the two up after they'd been together for only a month.

"What is the matter?"

"O-oh, it's nothing…I was just noticing how lovely you are."

The woman narrowed her eyes in a nostalgic fashion.

"Indeed I am…"

Ayako would have sweat dropped if she wasn't so dazed!

"Our…My name is Hotohori, although I am not always called such." For a moment, she thought she recognized the woman's voice, but shook away the thought; how could she when they'd only just met?

"Hotohori? My name is Ayako, but my friends usually like to add -chan to the end for fun."

"Ayako…a strange yet sweet name."

Hikaru ran through the halls, Seta following close behind; she had insisted that they find her sister before she got herself into trouble! Kang-lin simply wished them luck in an uncaring tone, and went about filing her 'perfect' nails.

"Ayako-chaaaaaan!"

"Huh?" She looked behind her; she swore she heard her sister calling her. "Oneesama..?"

"Your sister is here as well?" Hotohori asked.

"Oh, yeah…I forgot to mention. You see, when I was pulled into this world, my best friend and big sister-figure kinda got pulled with me, though I somehow think it was intentional…"

"Pulled into this world..?"

Oops. Ok, so everything happened for a reason, but why was SHE suddenly the one who had to spout out stupid crap? Now her only foreign ally in the palace would call her crazy, and she'd be sent straight back into the dungeon…and probably her friends, too.

"I mean…"

"So you're from another world? That's so fascinating! Please, tell me all about it! I'm sure it must be wonderful! What's it called? And what about your country?"

"Um..?" Wow, that was unexpected.

"Hey, you! Over there!" more distant voices…this time more threatening.

"AHHH!"

Oh no…that sounded like Hikaru!

"Let go of me, you freaks!" Seta's voice carried throughout the courtyard.

"Seta-kun! Hikaru-sama!"

"What are you doing? Quickly, you must hide!"

Hotohori quickly pushed the confused girl into the bushes, and just in time; a guard yelled for his colleagues to 'check it out', and a whole group of them came into the area! One was holding Seta's hands behind her back, as she struggled to break free. Hikaru was having a little more luck, as she kicked rapidly until the guard who held her was in so much pain, he had no choice but to let go…but she didn't get far before two more guards apprehended her. Ayako gasped; she couldn't just betray them!

"NO! Stop it!" She leapt out of the bushes and ran toward the guards, "Leave them alone!" She head butted one of them in the stomach, and he prepared to retaliate.

"That is enough! You shall not harm even one of them without our consent! Now set them free at once!"

The girls and the guards all looked up at once. Hotohori had dropped the blanket-like robe from her body to reveal her regal clothing.

"H-Highness!" The guards released the 'prisoners' instantly, and quickly fell to the ground, bowing low before their emperor.

"Highness..?" Ayako looked at Hotohori, and squinted her eyes. "You're a man?"

"I truly am sorry for deceiving you…but I had to be sure that you weren't a witch, as my council had suggested."

She nodded, a little sheepish.

They were led into the throne room, the emperor now donning his imperial robes and crown.

"And now, we have important business to tend to. Ayako, we believe that you are indeed the one and only savior of our country, the priestess of Suzaku. Our request…my request is that you please take on this role and assemble the Suzaku shichi-seishi! From there, summon the beast-god himself and save our country!"

Of course this came as no surprise to her; everyone in the city had once referred to her by that title, although she would later learn that she had been openly called demon in the last few days by those same people. She knew in her heart that this was right, and even some part of her had long for this her entire life, though what part, exactly, was a headache to figure out.

"I have a couple requests, first, Hotoho-Heika-sama…"

"Of course, what is it?"

"Well, first I would like for my friends and I to have rooms at the palace."

"It shall be done." He nodded to a few servants, and they rushed off, seemingly to prepare such rooms.

"Also, I'd like to return to Yu-hai-san's inn to get our things back…"

"Are you referring to the tavern known as 'The Chicken Roost'?" he asked, looking a little worried.

"Yes, that's the one!"

"We were informed that the owner of the inn was stripped of his business there."

"What..? Why? There were plenty of customers showing up when I left that morning…"

"Apparently the very same people demanded it, accusing him of consorting with demons."

"Demons?"

"Unfortunately, we believe they were referring to you…"

"No..! You have to reverse this! Please explain to them that I'm not a demon, or a witch!"

Hotohori felt a twinge of pain stabbing like hot needles into the left side of his neck and chest, simultaneously. Even if she was a demon, so be it; she had already stolen his heart, and he longed to do anything for her, priestess or not.

"Please do not fret, I would have it so it never happened."

"Sir…I've received news that the former captain of the guard has been parading around impersonating a soldier belonging to the palace. I was told that he personally put the man out of business as an act of revenge for helping those three girls escape."

"What?" He stood up in fury, then almost immediately calmed himself, reminded of those around him, and sat back down.

"Of course he should be punished…but more importantly, we need you to search the city for the innkeeper and any companions he may have; we would like to return to him his job in person, as well as thank him for treating these three with such care."

The guard nodded and bowed before leaving the room. Hotohori looked back at the girls and smiled.

"Once he arrives, we shall accompany you to his tavern so that you may retrieve your belongings. Do you have any other requirements, Ayako?"

She fought back a blush at hearing her name spoken by the kind emperor, and shook her head.

"Forgive me for asking so much…I will become the priestess!"

He smiled the first true smile he'd worn in many years, and stood up. Doors into the courtyard from earlier opened wide to reveal many soldiers who bowed low before them.

"Let it be known that this woman is one whom we have long awaited, the girl of legend, the priestess of Suzaku who shall save this land from destruction!"

"All hail the Suzaku no miko, our savior!" they all chanted, heads and bodies still bowed low.

She clenched her fists tightly, a low growl escaping her lips. It took everything she had not to punch a hole in the wall!

"Lady Kang-lin, we have to go! If Heika-sama catches us here, we'll be punished!"

"You may leave, but I haven't seen enough yet…"

"But…"

"Just go!" she snapped, harshly, causing the younger, more sensitive girl to return to her room, crying.

Kang-lin sighed; later she would apologize, but for now, learning more about the brat was top priority.

Ayako hesitated. She was nervous about having a meal with Hotohori in his council room, especially now that she knew of his royalty. Before she was even able to knock, the door opened to reveal a smiling man, dressed somewhat casually with his hair tied loosely over his shoulder.

"Welcome, Ayako. A maid should arrive soon with our meal, in the meantime, please come and sit with me!" He offered her a chair near the end of a very long table beside his own, and motioned for her to sit.

"Heika-sama…"

"Please, like I've told you, call me Hotohori."

"Hotohori-sama…" she said, quieter, "I'm sorry for saying what I said about you, before, back when this whole mess started. I had no idea what a good emperor and person you really are…"

He waved it off.

"That was then, it is past, now, and of course I forgive you. After all, you will save my country, will you not?"

She smiled, slightly, and nodded.

"Um...Hotohori-sama?"

"Yes?" The door opened and the food that the emperor had previously ordered was placed on the tables, steaming hot and fresh.

"What exactly do I have to do fulfil the prophecy? I feel like I should know, but...it's all a blurr", she held her head to emphasize.

"I don't expect you to, after all, you're from another world entirely." He took a sip of his water before continuing. "As priestess, it is your duty to gather the seven warriors of Suzaku..."

"Right", she nodded, that much she understood.

"From there, you must recite a spell from a scroll given to us by Taiyijun, commanding the god to appear. He will grant you the power to fulfil nearly any kind of wish."

"Wow..." she marveled.

He nodded, and took up his chop sticks to eat. Luckily, she'd had enough practice using those when she and her friends would go to Chinese restaurants back home, so picking up the food-and keeping it in her grip-wouldn't be too difficult. She happily picked up a piece of broccoli and began munching on it. Suddenly, her splitting headache returned...

'What are you doing? You know this job isn't for you! Deep down, you know it was just a fluke!' spoke a voice in her mind that differed only slightly from her own, 'Hurry! Remember why you refused it in the first place! Grab your friends, and get out, before it's too late...'

She dropped her chopsticks to the floor, and held her head, groaning in pain.

"Ayako? Ayako, what is it? Su-long, fetch the doctor!"

'Who..are you..? Why can't I remember anything? It hurts so much..! I wasn't even trying to remember it...'

'Don't even try, it's too much. Just rest; when you awaken, it'll all be gone.'

'What? But, I don't want that...I've wanted this my whole life, haven't I? Haven't I...?' Oh yeah, she had...but why? How could she have known about this place? Because she was the priestess? And what about her friends-did they have some important purpose here as well? 'Look, I don't know who you are, but...this feels right, and my entire life has always been about sitting around and never taking risks! Now I feel like I mean something, I'm important here! I want to stick it out 'til the end...I want to remember...something..'

She had been laying on the floor, writhing in pain that entire time, worrying the poor emperor to death. Suddenly, just as the doctor entered the room, she sat up, stood up, and looked into Hotohori's eyes with immense determination.

"Hotohori-sama!"

"H-hai?"

"Let's get started right away! I need to find the rest of the warriors before something bad happens!" she walked out of the room, and ran to find her friends.

Hotohori stood there, perplexed. What had just happened? Her...'episode' had nearly led him to an extremely early grave, and without an heir to the throne, that was bad news.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty; this happens all the time." The old doctor laughed, light-heartedly. "I swear, no matter what the problem, people always seem to be cured before I even get to examine them!" The emperor chuckled, lightly, trying to calm himself. "Just to be sure, what was the matter?"

"Well..." he explained everything that had happened in the last few minutes.

"What brought this on?" Her big sister looked at her with a confused expression.

"It's a long story...but I feel it in my heart..this is something I have to do! We need to get started right now!"

"Why now?" Seta asked.

"Because...something bad will happen if we don't hurry, and I don't even want to imagine what it'll be like if I fail..."

The purple-haired woman peeked from around the corner, and blinked. Why was she so excited, alluva' sudden?

Ayako suddenly jumped in the air, excitedly, a big smile printed on her face. "I have the feeling that the next seishi is just around the corner!" she giggled like a child.

Kang-lin sweat-dropped; did the girl have super-senses? Suddenly she was afraid that no secret would be safe from the brat, and ran off as fast as she could.

He sighed, and filed the documents accordingly. Work was finally finished, for the moment, and he could take a break. He was still a little concerned about his...bipolar priestess, but he decided that if everyone reacted to headaches the way she did, then no one would ever be ill. He chuckled; she was so interesting! He wanted to know everything about her...

"Hotohori-sama..."

Ahh...he was even hearing her voice echoing in the back of his mind. How comforting. Perhaps he would dream of her, as well..

"Hotohori-sama!"

He jumped. Apparently it wasn't a daydream...but that was even better! Without thinking, he grabbed her and held her close, just happy to be near her.

"Mrrf!" She struggled to breathe, and break loose, blushing deeply. He instantly let go of her, and regained himself.

"We are sorry! We don't know what we were thinking..."

"I-it's fine...I was wondering."

"Hmm?"

"How do I actually find the seishi? I mean, they could be anywhere, right?"

"...Come with me", he said, returning to a more casual persona.

He led her to a large room filled with many scrolls, and very few books the way she saw them in her own world. He pulled an old, worn, once-red scroll from the vast whole, and set it on a table, opening it delicately.

"This scroll foretells your arrival and may give some hints as to the whereabouts of the remaining seishi. This kanji here means 'throne' and this one says...'mirror'?" he sighed, and she chuckled; yup, that was definitely Hotohori! "Well...anyway, this one says 'beauty' and 'sister'. Perhaps one of the warriors is a woman?"

The woman in hiding smiled, slightly; maybe His Highness would notice her, now! She attempted to get closer, but ended up tripping over a scroll that was carelessly left on the floor, falling to her face.

"...ooouch.." she groaned, then ran out of the library to avoid being seen.

"What was that?" Ayako asked, blinking.

"What was what?"

"Uhh...nevermind, continue, please!" She smiled reassuringly, and he nodded. "Let me see if I can recognize any characters.." She scanned her eyes over the ancient, foreign text. "I think I know that one", she pointed to the only familiar one on there, "oni...'demon'."

"That's right, it can also mean 'monster' or 'ogre', and this character, right here means 'money'." Why did that sound so familiar? An image of a boy that she and her friends met when they first arrived flashed through her mind. Wouldn't it be funny if someone like that was a seishi? Her eyes moved over two more, somewhat familiar characters. She furrowed her eyebrows and bit her lip.

"What do those mean..?" she began.

"Sire, we've found the innkeeper!"

"Wonderful! Where was he?"

"Well, Sire...we found him in the more run-down part of town; he was going on, babbeling some nonsense...I think might have been drunk. Anyway, he refused to come to the palace with us."

"I see...well, prepare our palanquin! The priestess and I shall go and invite him ourselves!"

"Highness, I know I'm no councilor, but I wouldn't advise this! That part of the city is known for it's hoodlums and gang members..."

"We trust that our guard will be on their toes looking out for their leader and savior's lives."

"Uh..."

"Right, then. Now, as we commanded, please prepare our palanquin."

"Y-yes, Sire..." he ran off to do so.

"Now, what were you asking, Ayako?"

"It's nothing; this is more important!" She was worried about Yu-hai, and was anxious to find him before he did something stupid!

Hotohori nodded, and moments later, the same guard arrived to escort the two.

"What..? Who's this innkeeper guy; why's he so important?" Kang-lin secretly followed behind them, feeling lucky that a palanquin escort was hardly faster than a walk.

"Hey, what's going on? Where are they going?" The woman nearly jumped out of her skin, and shushed Hikaru, who folded her hands behind her head and narrowed her eyes at the harem-lady. "Hey, why're you following them, anyway? Jealous, much?"

"Shut up and go away!"

"Aww, she really thinks I'm scared of her! How about I go tell His Majesty about your 'undying love for him'!" She giggled like a mad-woman.

"No no, shhhh! You can come, just please for Suzaku's sake, be quiet!"

"Okay!" she said, cheerfully, putting a finger over her mouth to indicate the silence.

Ayako hopped into the palanquin, a little reluctant. She remembered how she'd yelled at him only days ago, only a few feet away from the escort... She felt that she owed him much, and prayed that being the miko would be enough to repay the debt.

The crowds in the street parted, confused as they saw their emperor and priestess carried off, wondering if they had missed some important memo. It was easy to tell when they neared their destination, as the buildings here were abandoned and falling apart. Ayako spotted Yu-hai sitting on the ground, leaning against a damp wall. His head was bowed, making it hard to tell whether he was conscious or even alive; she hoped he still was.

"There he is!" she cried.

"Right. Lower the palanquin!" Hotohori commanded. The two stepped out and Ayako ran over to the apparently drunken innkeeper.

"Yu-hai! What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, ish da p-priestess! C'mon, Kai-'n! Check it out!" he hiccuped. Kai-yen didn't come, and Ayako assumed that she was long since gone. "Ahh, whadevah...she'll jusht miss out on da fun! Wheeeeeehoooo!" He danced rather stupidly before the two, making the emperor raise his eyebrows.

"Yu-hai, I'd like you to meet the emperor of Hong-nan! He's-"

"Ahhhh, Yer Mashestyyyy!" He attempted to bow, and fell to his face. "Ya put me outta bizz-in-iss..." he enunciated before hiccuping again.

"Yu-hai, look at me! I need you to concentrate, can you do that?"

"Huuh?" He blinked; there seemed to be two of her dancing before his eyes. "Ohhhh..." He just knew he was gonna puke.

"Ok ok, calm down! Keep your eyes shut, and take deep breaths." He did as he was told, and it seemed to help a little.

"Thankeez", hiccup, "mikooooo"

"I have good news for you!"

"Good nooooooooose! Ahhh!"

"No no no! Not noose, news!"

"Ohhhh, okayz."

"You're gonna get your inn back! And I'll do what I can to get you great business again, ok?"

"Bizz-in-iss..?"

"Hehe. Yes, 'bizz-in-iss'", she copied, and smiled at him. He smelled awful, but drunk people often do. The alcohol seemed to be sweating out of him, which was both good and bad. "Hotohori-sama, do we have any water?"

"Uh, I 'ave some, Miss!" A man probably in his 20s walked up to them, grinning. "Oh, wow! I's me lucky day! The priestess o' Suzaku, an' the emperor o' Hong-nan right at me doorstep!"

"We thought these buildings were abandoned." Hotohori eyed the man, suspiciously.

"Oh no, they're far from abandoned." He grinned evilly, and the handful of guards prepared to draw their weapons, if need be. Hotohori held his hand out to calm them.

"What do you want from us?" Suddenly, they were completely surrounded by thugs, and they were too far away from the main street to call for help effectively-it was a trap.

"I hired them." The former captain of the guard walked out from the shadows, tracing the hilt of his sword.

"You..." Hotohori glared at the man.

"And now, for my revenge!"

"Are you stupid? This is the emperor you're threatening! Don't you care that you might be the downfall of our entire country? And think about it, if you fail, you'll be banished and beaten, at best! Don't be so foolish!"

"Shut up!" He motion with his hands, and the gang attacked, with the exception of its leader who observed and conversed with the ex-soldier.

Hotohori backed away, slowly, looking determined. He snatched a sword from one of his guards, and proceeded to kick butt. His skill with the blade was amazing, and Ayako almost forgot she was in danger!

"Dammit! I think we lost them..."

"Or we're lost."

"Ugh!" She was so annoyed; how could she miss something as big as that? Suddenly, she heard a noise. "Oh no.."

"What?"

"Highness!" Kang-lin ran as fast as she could, making it hard for Hikaru to keep up.

"What's going on?" Suddenly, the woman stopped, and put her arm out, to block the girl from running any farther.

"Wait here."

"Huh?"

"It's safe here."

"Just tell me what's going on!"

"Later!" Kang-lin ran on ahead, and Hikaru crossed her arms over her chest. How could she just leave her behind? She could kick butt, too... She sighed and looked back at the more busy parts of Rong-yang; a chill down her spine told her that they needed to get away from this spot soon, or else...

"Gotchya!" A thug grabbed Ayako, preparing to cut her up with his knife, if no one cooperated. "Alright, then! Do as you're told, or else!"

"These men really are idiots..." Hotohori grumbled, but put away his sword; by now, he had received a few nicks here and there on his robes, and his crown had fallen off of his head, revealing his long, dark hair. "I will pay any price if you'll only let her go."

"Hmm." The gang leader thought to himself, wondering how high was a good price to start.

"By the way, there's a bounty on that guy's head!" Kang-lin smiled, and pointed at the former captain-of-the-guard. The gang leader grinned evilly, and looked at his buddies as they surrounded the fugitive.

"Ohhh shi-"

"GET 'IM!" Suddenly, they all swarmed around him to grab hold of him, leaving Ayako caught up in the middle. She tried to push through them to get back to her allies.

"Hello, excuse me! Trying to find an exit, here!" The captain of the guard managed to slip from their would-be grip, and snuck behind the emperor, putting a sword at his throat.

"Alright, that's enough!"

"Hey, 'owed 'e get ovah there?"

"A single one of you moves in this direction, and we'll never have to worry about peace in Hong-nan again!"

Kang-lin suddenly found hidden strength from the adrenaline coarsing through her veins, which says a lot considering her already brute strength, and punched her fist so hard into the wall that it began to crumble, violently.

"...oh gawd", the man began, but it seemed that Yu-hai had sobered up from the experience, and whacked him hard on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.

"Hurry, Your Highness, we have to get out of here!" Hotohori nodded, and followed Yu-hai away from the unstable building. The gang members all scrambled to find a way out, but they succeeded in running into eachother constantly, instead.

"You are the maiden in my court who has been spending time with the priestess and her friends, are you not?"

"Y-yes, Sire...please forgive me for leaving the palace, I know it was out of bounds.."

"How did you come by such strength? Even men who train their entire lives cannot perform such a magnificent feat!"

"Well, Your Majesty..." she blushed a little, revealing part of her chest, her heart beating a mile a minute. A Chinese character shone bright red on the upper part of her left breast, a sign meaning the "willow". Hotohori gasped.

"So...you are one of the seven..!"

"My seishi name is Nuriko, Highness."

Through all of the chaos, Ayako was still trapped amidst the small crowd, and was cornered as the building finally began to collapse right on top of her!

"Oh no!" she braced herself, and covered her head. Hotohori and the newly announced "Nuriko" turned slowly to face what they already knew was happening.

"AYAKO!" Hotohori yelled. Nuriko face drained of all color, and she looked in horror at what had just happened. His Majesty would never forgive her for this!

* * *

**Author's Note::** I've been rewatching the series (for the umteenth time) and jeeeez Miaka has been watching too much Sailor Moon xD hahaha no wonder she wears the buns and is obsessed with food (Watase-sama:: oh no, the secret is out!) I knew it! :0


	7. Cuts and Bruises

(**Author's Apology::** I really hope you can all forgive me, but when I wrote this, I was away from my cliff notes and managed to screw the story over royally, so I had to change the plot a bit...don't worry, even though this chapter is different, you can expect that the fanfic will still be fresh and, hopefully, enjoyable. Please excuse me for being so sloppy. *bows apologetically*)

* * *

**Chapter 7: Cuts and Bruises** (_Oh SNAP!_)

It was dark, damp, and…painful. Damn. Well, at least she was still alive. She didn't dare open her eyes for fear that the dust would irritate them. Faintly, she could hear familiar voices yelling, probably to her, but the rubble and debris distorted the words beyond recognition. She felt a sharp, burning pain in her left arm, just above the elbow as though something had pierced it. A small twitch sent horrible shivers throughout her body telling her that it was definitely broken. She would have sighed if she could breathe properly, but for now, her only options were to attempt moving the heavy stone with her good arm or wait for the others to rescue her.

'Nuriko, huh? Maybe she could…' she began her thought, then chuckled inwardly. Of course she'd never help; Kang-lin practically hated her, in fact, it seemed to run deeper somehow. She felt a hot, sticky wetness trickle down her forehead.

'Oh gawd…how bad is it? Never mind, I don't even want to know… This sucks, I wanted to die painlessly...old, insane, and in a retirement home...with lots of cats...and a cane'. Her thoughts served as a cheerful distraction before reality again set in. A more familiar liquid streamed down her cheek, now, as she cried like the baby she knew she was. How pathetic...

* * *

Her face paled at what she had just witnessed.

"Ayako, oh my God…no…" It was difficult to find a person to blame; Kang-lin threw the punch, but she surely didn't mean to harm Ayako, right? She suddenly remembered how the woman mistreated the two, especially her little sister, and anger filled her. Hikaru charged up to the seishi, and grabbed a handful of her clothing and slapped her hard on her cheek.

"Ack! What are you doing?" the courtier demanded, holding her face.

"You…you killed her! How could you? Why did you…do that?" Tears fell from her face, and she felt suddenly weak with sorrow. "And…how will Seta take this..?"

"Hikaru, that is enough", spoke the emperor, in his softest voice, "You should know that it was not Nuriko's intent. Why do you punish her? She must be suffering as well…"

Nuriko stood silent for a moment, something felt very wrong. If only she had the strength…strength..? She blinked. Strength! Of course! She had been so foolish!

"That's it!"

"Huh?" Hikaru and Hotohori said in unison. Nuriko ran to the pile of rubble and quickly began throwing the massive chunks of the building in every which way, most of it landing on the hoodlums who had just begun to regain consciousness.

"What was I thinking?"

"You mean…she's?"

Just one more piece…and there she was! Laying on the ground, covered in both dirt and blood, eyes shut tight.

Ayako felt a weight lifted, literally, but still she dare not open her eyes. She heard footsteps getting quickly closer.

"Oh my God…"

"Dear Suzaku…"

Hikaru quickly looked away, it was grotesque and made her sick to her stomach; she probably could have handled it better if it wasn't her close friend. Ayako's arm had apparently snapped and was laying at an angle that would normally be physically impossible. To make it worse, there was a gash that ran deep enough to see the break itself! Her lighter injuries were simply bruises, some scratches, a swollen ankle, and a small cut in her forehead, nothing that wouldn't heal easily and quickly.

"Dammit…we have to get her to a doctor right away! She doesn't appear to have any kind of fatal wounds, but that arm needs to be treated!" Nuriko brushed the dirt off of the injured girl's face, and gently patted her cheek to get her attention. "You can open your eyes, now."

Ayako did as she was told, and relaxed her eyes before attempting to open them.

"How did you know I was awake, or even alive?"

"You were trying too hard to keep your eyes closed; the dead can't do that. Trust me…I would know."

"I'll take your word for it…"

"Try to keep your eyes focused on me, ok?"

"With hair as weird as yours, I don't think that'll be a problem..!" She winced; one of her bruises happened to be on her ribs, and it hurt to chuckle.

"Well, if you can joke like that, then I'm sure you must be fine", Kang-lin smirked; the brat had earned a little of her respect…she had some guts.

Finally, Ayako gently allowed her eyelids to part, waiting for the giant purple mass in front of her to come into focus.

"Ahh!" she shut her eyes tightly again, her left arm twitched, and her good arm reached to hold her head.

"Idiot! Don't try to move that, you'll make it worse!" She sighed. "Ok, how many of me did you see?"

"Threeeeee…" Her eyes swirled, dizzily—at least her head stopped throbbing!

"Ok, don't open them again, your head injury might be more serious than I thought…"

"Oh greeeat, I get to be even more stupid!" she joked, wincing slightly again.

"Enough of this. Hikaru, come here!" The girl did as she was told, and knelt beside the two. "I'm going to carry her, but I need you to hold her arm first. Majesty, if you please, hold her head for me."

"Of course!" Hotohori ran over, and gently wrapped his caring hands protectively around her head, supporting it.

"Yu-hai, I'm going to need you to—", she ripped her sleeve off, then ripped it more to make it longer, "—wrap this around her broken arm and around her body; we don't want that thing flapping around."

The old, sobered man nodded, and watched as Nuriko took her arm from Hikaru and put it in the proper position, Ayako screaming in pain at the shift.

"It'll be ok, Ayako! We're gonna get you taken care of, I promise", Hikaru said in a gentle tone that wasn't like her; Ayako merely whimpered in response and tried to nod.

"Alright, ready guys?" Yu-hai and Hotohori nodded. "One. Two. Three—and lift!" It was easy work lifting her body, but she had to be slow and careful about it so that her head didn't move too much.

"Alright, be sure to wrap it around tightly, but not so tightly that it bleeds more. He did it as fast as an old man can, and was done quickly. "We're going to have to lay her down in the palanquin, which means there will be blood stains…does that bother you, Highness?"

"Not at all. Her safety is first and foremost our biggest concern!"

She smiled; he was so noble and caring…how could anyone not fall in love with him? Not that she was complaining; the less competition, the better.

They gently laid her down, her head on a cushion, Hotohori staying by her side, and the soldiers quickly retreated to the palace where the best doctors in the land supposedly were.

* * *

Where did everybody go? Everyone she knew was gone from the palace, and had been gone for hours. It was boring with out someone to talk to, or at least a computer to pass the time. She suddenly missed civilization… She had been wandering around the corridors for a while, now, gradually mapping the place out in her head; she doubted that it would be easy for her to get lost. Her ears picked up some kind of a commotion a few passages ahead, and to the left.

"Huh?" She ran towards the sound, eager for a distraction from her loneliness, but was more than surprised at what she saw.

"Move it move it!" one of the guards commanded, parting a way through a crowd of servants and courtiers. The emperor appeared first, holding something in his hands. Through the herd of soldiers, she could vaguely see that there was a person being carried off. Oh, good, Yu-hai was safe! What was with the worried expression? Was it Kai-yen? Hikaru! Her too? She felt uneasy, and a knot began to form in her stomach. The crowd passed, and Ayako was not among them.

"Ohh dear…" She quickly turned right into the adjacent corridor, and worked to catch up. "Hikaru!" The older girl slowed to a stop, and looked at her with worried eyes.

"Seta…she's hurt."

"I was afraid of that…"

"Her arm snapped…"

"Oh gawd….she's not _that_ clumsy, has she?" She was only half joking, and the two were now chasing after the group again, which finally slowed down and entered a rather large room, probably the 'doctor's office'.

"I don't think anyone is that clumsy", she responded, rolling her eyes.

Seta sighed. "Ok, tell me everything that happened." Hikaru nodded.

* * *

"You look like you were hit by an eighteen-wheeler!" Seta exclaimed, and Ayako sweatdropped. She was now covered in bandages, particularly around her head and a few band-aids from home scattered here and there. Her arm was put back in to its place, which believe me, was agonizing, and was wrapped tightly and put in a sling. There was a bruise on her cheek, which was slightly swollen, and one on her upper right arm. She had a slight limp in her walk, but because of a pain medicine the doctor gave her, she felt good as normal...except for the fact that she couldn't feel or move her arm. That damn fuzzy feeling!

"Nuriko, you're lucky I dun have a crutch, or I'd beat ya ta death wiff it!" she exclaimed, a little too cheerfully, swinging her fist at the already depressed maiden.

"Not before I do! NOBODY hurts my little sister like that!" Hikaru said, egging her on sorta. Seta just stood there, and chuckled evilly.

"Uhoh! I think our dear Seta-kun is plotting something!" Ayako smirked.

"Oh, do tell!" the older twin giggled.

"Well, I see you're all back to your annoying selves..." Nuriko said in her this-is-how-I-talk-to-people-I-accept-as-friends-but-I'm-still-weirded-out voice, raising her eyebrow. "Anyway, you're lucky he managed to clean all the dirt out of that wound! An infection right there with a break like that would have been...well, let's just say you'd have to get used to being right-handed"

"I _am_ right-handed", she said, dead-panned.

"You get the point, though."

"I guess so..."

"Hey, Ayako-when I saw your arm, I was like 'Oh SNAP!'" Seta joked.

"Heh. I don't know whether to laugh or worry about you, Seta." Hikaru raised her eyebrow, but smiled anyway.

"Aww, c'mon! That's not funny!" she said, trying to hide the small smile beginning to grow on her face.

"It was actually pretty gruesome...I don't know how you two can joke about it like that. Cast-iron stomachs, maybe?" Kang-lin raised her eyebrows.

"Nah, just a sense of humor", Seta stuck her tongue out, playfully.

"Yeah, a sick one!" Ayako playfully bumped her with her hip.

"Getting back to business, how are we going to find the rest of the Suzaku seven like this? A crippled priestess can't hope to go on that kind of journey successfully!"

"My legs are just fine-!"

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!"

"..."

"Anyway, what do you plan to do?" The miko looked down, unable to come up with an answer at first.

"I think we should try to find the seishi as quickly as possible!"

"Absolutely not! I cannot, and will not allow you to leave the palace until your arm has fully healed!"

"But-!"

"No, I refuse! You need time to rest, then we can continue the search."

"Sire, please..."

"And you, Nuriko! As a warrior of Suzaku destined to protect the priestess, I am puzzled as to how you can support such horrible judgment! I am beginning to question your ability, or at least your will to protect the miko."

"Hotohori-sama, will you please at least hear me out?" She pleaded. The emperor sighed, and nodded, making Ayako smile as she regained her thoughts. "Well..." she shook her head, "Heika-sama, you told me yourself that the priestess arrives when the country is on the brink of a crisis, right? What do you think will happen if I just sit here and wait for months and months? If I summon Suzaku, I can wish for peace, and to heal my arm, right?"

Hotohori blinked. She seemed honest, and the more he stared at her, the calmer he became until he forgot why they had been arguing in the first place. He sighed, and gave in.

"We understand, and appreciate your sincerity, Suzaku no miko. We shall comply with your request..." He looked at his vassals and returned to his most serious expression. "Prepare our horses from the stable at once!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" They replied, and the aged councilor looked at him with concern.

"Your Majesty, please don't tell me that you plan attend as well."

"You've guessed right, Advisor." He smiled, slightly, and rushed off to his quarters, taking his crown off and allowing his radiant hair to flow once more. When he emerged minutes later, he was dressed in much more common clothing, and had his sword strapped to his sash. "Come now, the horses should be ready", he said, sweetly to the four girls present.

"S-sire, are you sure about this?"

"We must ensure the priestess's safety on this journey."

"Yes, but Highness, not even those peasant's garments can disguise your majestic appearance."

"How sincere you are, Councilor...but as we mentioned before, we shall be fine with what we have." His eyes sparkled with narcissism, and the women sweat-dropped, as did the councilor. "I leave you in charge while we are away!" he said, transitioning somewhat back into single-person-commoner speak, and mounted the horse with Hikaru on it.

Due to Ayako's injured arm, Nuriko was holding her in place on the horse, and Seta sat behind the two, holding onto the seishi for dear life. Hikaru blushed a little at being so close to the emperor; she could feel his warmth, and it was comforting. Without much thought, she found herself leaning back into him a bit. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice...unfortunately, Nuriko did. A death glare was shot at Hikaru, and she quickly looked away; she didn't want to be snapped like a chicken the way Ayako had been.

As Hikaru and Seta freaked out on the sidelines, Ayako looked ahead, worried. Things didn't seem to be turning out as planned, and she didn't think this journey would be easy, either... She sighed, and prayed that no bad would happen.

* * *

**Author's Note::** Don't kill me, yes I know it's been a while! xD;; But thanks to #'s 7 and 8 reviews, I became newly inspired, and voila! *sparkle sparkle* Dunno if it's any good, since it was a (somewhat) spur of the moment thing, but it does make things interesting, doesn't it? :P Hmm...I wonder where Tama-kins is, tho...it's like a game of 'Where's Waldo?' xD

Where's Tama-kins? Can you spot him? (Audience:: Of COURSE not, you dummy! There aren't any pictures!) Ok ok...I'll tell you, then!

**Q.** What happened to Tamahome after he ran off into the crowd?

**A.** He ran off to one of his part-time jobs to go make money, of course!

**Q.** What about when the girls were arrested?

**A.** By then he was on his way to his home village for a visit. :3

**Q.** And when the emperor discovered their identities?

**A.** He was back in town, and stopped to eat some yummy fried rice with vegetables and teriyaki chicken! :D

**Q.** Where was he when the thugs were taunting everybody?

**A.** He had felt extremely uneasy for "apparently no reason" and wandered through the crowds fairly close to where they all were; if he had been closer, he would have saved Ayako before she was crushed, but as is, the feeling went away, and he went back to working.

**Q.** Ok, so where is he now? oO

**A.** Since he can't find much work in the capital, he's roaming around some nearby villages searching for work, such as bandit-hunting and even a little farming! :D)


	8. Enemies Unforeseen

**Chapter 8: Enemies Unforeseen** (_How does it feel to know that your life is about to end?_)

"Wow, you're really gonna give me this much?"

"Trust me, if I had more, I'd gladly give it up! You weren't kidding when you said you were a 'Jack-of-all-trades'! To be able to clean clothes, cook, wash dishes, help with the crops, fix up the house, and fight off the local thugs? I thought you'd have to be Suzaku himself to multitask like that!"

"It's all in a day's work, Sir", the teen smiled kindly, "Still, are you sure you wanna give me 30 whole silver?"

"It's yours."

The young man was torn between tears and a shriek of excitement, and bowed before his elder.

"Thank you so much, Sir!"

"The same to you. Now shouldn't you be running off to your next job, Tamahome?" The boy blinked, gasped, bowed once more, and ran off as fast as his legs would carry him. If he didn't hurry to the next village, he was going to miss his chance!

* * *

"Ow…ow…ow…owwww…ow" This had become the norm as soon as the group had left the palace, and frankly, Nuriko couldn't take much more of it!

Ayako braced herself for the next step; with every movement, a shooting pain tormented her arm, and she was sure that the growing pain would put a dent into their plans…

"We are not far from the next village", Hotohori reassured, seemingly unaffected, as always, by the miko's faults.

Seta and Hikaru were pretty happy to have their things back, finally, and had changed clothes in the inn as soon as they could! Seta specifically was less fearful about falling off the back of the horse, now that they had been traveling for hours, but still held on loosely to Nuriko's waist just in case.

"It is quite a fortunate event that Yu-hai knew which city Kai-jun's nephew lives in!" the emperor thought aloud, cheerfully.

"I'm not surprised; he seemed really proud of him!"

"The city in question is only a few hours away, not far from the village we are nearing now", he informed them.

The expressions on the girls' faces turned from somewhat painful to happy. Their butts were sore, and whether the others felt the same or not, Nuriko really longed to take a bath and lay down on a nice, soft bed.

"Oh, what good timing! The sun is just beginning to set…" Kang-lin sighed and gazed into the beautiful, warm rainbow of evening.

"Oh my gawd, this place is so amazing…I'm so happy we have the money to afford this type of place!" Ayako exclaimed. The inn they were staying at wasn't nearly as great as the services at the palace, but for someone who wasn't used to being pampered, it was like paradise! They purchased a suite with two rooms and a "pre-historic" version of a bathroom. They each took turns washing up, then went downstairs for supper, with the exception of Ayako, who used the excuse of not being that hungry. By now, the sun had long since set, and she sat in a chair beside the open window, gazing up at the nearly full moon. She sighed, knowing she was going to be in for another painful night, and reached into her pocket for the container of bitter pain pills that the good doctor had prepared for her.

"Damn building…how the hell do you take revenge on a crumbled piece of construction?" she half joked to no one.

Suddenly, she heard a soft thud coming from behind her, making her jar her arm a bit. She made a few funny faces trying not to scream profanities, as the pain she felt traveled up from her wrist to her elbow to her shoulder.

"Who's…there..?" she managed to get out through clenched teeth. She turned to find no one else in the room. A sudden gust of wind came in through the window and blew out the candles, allowing only moonlight to enter the dark room. A silhouette was barely visible just in front of the door; it made Ayako's heart race. Soon she forgot her pain, as the adrenaline coursed through her body and numbed her arm. Using her very shaky good hand, she pulled out a pill and put it in her mouth, eyes wide and not moving from the shadow in front of her. She was shaking so badly that she accidentally crunched it in half and bit her tongue before swallowing.

"It's just your imagination, Ayako-chan…" she said, closing her eyes tightly, "there's nothing there, there wasn't anybody there before the lights went out, and nobody's that fast…" The door slammed open and hit the wall beside it, making her jump and whimper a little. "There's…_not_ anybody there…right?" she asked herself in a mutter, slowly opening one eye to take a peek. The candles were lit again, and everything seemed to be back to normal. "Huh..?"

The door opened, normally, and Nuriko walked through first.

"Ayako? Were you just talking to yourself? Are you feeling ok?" she questioned, blinking curiously.

"Yeah…I'm fine" 'I think…' she added in her head, beginning to think she was crazy.

Hikaru and Seta walked in, followed by the emperor.

"It's too bad you weren't hungry; the food down there is amazing!" Hikaru explained, a satisfied look on her visage.

"It was ok." Seta seemed less impressed, but she truthfully didn't dislike it either.

"We'd better get to sleep if we are to continue the search at dawn."

"I agree!" Nuriko said, kawaii-ly.

"Of course _you_ do…" Hikaru teased.

"What's that supposed to meeean?" The seishi blushed a bit and walked with the girl to their room.

Seta stayed behind, getting into her own bed as she watched Ayako's face get pale.

"Ayako-chan, are you ok? Pardon the expression, but you look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm fine, Seta-kun", she smiled a bit to emphasize, "I just thought I saw something earlier, but now I realize it must have been my imagination."

"Oh?"

Ayako gently laid down, happy that her arm no longer ached for the moment. "Well, I heard a noise behind me, earlier, but when I turned around, the candles blew out! I thought I saw someone in the shadows, and closed my eyes…when I opened them again, you guys were here and the candles were still lit."

"That's odd", Seta admitted, stretching a bit, getting comfortable for sleep.

"Oyasumi nasai, Seta-kun", Ayako yawned.

"Oyasumi."

* * *

"You can't be serious…" Ayako looked down in defeat. "I knew something would go wrong…"

"How can you not know? It's your kingdom, for crying out loud!"

"Hey, don't you talk to His Majesty that way!"

"I'll talk however I please; this isn't the palace, and we're lost!"

"You're sure you don't know the way, Hotohori-sama?" Seta asked, worried. He narrowed his eyes, then bowed his head in defeat.

"We are sad to say that we do not… We rarely ventured outside of the palace walls as a child, and have been too busy to do it as an adult. Please forgive our ignorance in this situation…"

"Sire, please don't be so hard on yourself…" Nuriko looked at him with her most caring eyes.

"Is there a river or something around here that might connect to the city?"

"Well, actually there is a river, or rather a system of rivers that travel through the country connecting in the east. I see your point, too, that'll help tremendously if we can find it. No village is built too far from the water system, so it should be close by!" Nuriko stated matter-of-factly.

"Good, then we should be on the look out. I wonder if it would be wise to split up into groups…"

"Sure, Your Majesty! I can go with you, and they can run off and do…whatever it is they do!"

"Oh, wow…don't we feel loved", Seta said, dead-panned, the other two nodding.

"Nonsense. If we are to separate, then there should be a seishi in both groups to protect the girls."

Nuriko sighed. "I thought so. Alright, Ayako, you're coming with me! Seta, you can come if you want, but Hikaru…stay behind with His Majesty." She took Ayako by her good arm, and led her away, a confused Seta deciding to follow. Hikaru sweat-dropped; why did she have the feeling that she just got ditched? Oh well, at least she got to be with the emperor!

* * *

He yawned and stretched. Traveling from village to village in search of work was tiring, but it was well worth it. He smiled to himself, wondering what he would buy for her if he managed to save up a little extra. Suddenly, a thick fog began to roll in.

"That's odd...did a cloud just decide to drop out of the sky and forget to rain?" he wanted to snicker at his terrible joke, but he had a really bad feeling. Something about that fog just wasn't natural.

"Huh?" She saw the two figures of her best friend and protector disappear into the white. Her head started to ache, a little; fog always seemed to give her migraines!

"Nuriko? Seta-kun?" No response. "Guys? Hey, c'mon, this isn't funny! Dammit...why is it always the heroine who gets separated from the group?"

Her wonderings were cut short when hands reached out from the fog and grabbed her, covering her mouth so she wouldn't scream.

"Something isn't right...we can feel it. Something unnatural is causing this fog", Hotohori said, uneasily. Hikaru didn't know what to say. Although she'd probably never admit it, she was getting a little scared, herself.

There was a noise in the bushes, and Hotohori quickly drew his sword. He swiftly took Hikaru and pulled her in close to protect her, just in case.

"Who is there? Identify yourself, immediately!" he commanded, a dark look on his face.

"Whoa, easy there, fella!" The boy put his hands up, defensively, hoping that he didn't just start a fight.

"Hey, it's you!" Hikaru gaped at the boy she and her friends met a while back. "You're...you're, uhh..." she snapped her fingers, trying to remember, "Takagome!"

The boy deadpanned. "You mean Tamahome!" The young emperor gasped.

"'Tamahome'? As in the celestial star of Suzaku?" Tamahome blinked, cutely, and nodded.

"Yeah. What's it to you?" he asked, harmlessly enough.

"Watch your tone in the presence of royalty..." he warned, "and we wanted to know because we bear the mark of Suzaku as well."

"Wow! Really? Which one are you?"

"We are known as 'Hotohori'."

'What's with the 'we' business? Does he actually believe he's the emperor?' He shrugged it off, and thought no more of it.

Hotohori had let go of Hikaru, and she stood between them, looking back and forth at the two. Wow, so Tamahome was one of the famous shichiseishi! Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. She smiled at him.

Suddenly, both Hotohori and Tamahome jumped.

"You felt it, too?"

"Yeah..."

"Something's wrong..."

"I keep seeing that other girl in my mind...is she really the priestess?"

"We will speak later, now is the time to act! Hikaru, stay here until we return!"

"Hey, but-!" Then they were gone. "dammit!" She leaned against a tree, knowing she would have no hope of finding them in this maze of trees and fog.

* * *

"Thaaat's right, priestess of Suzaku. Just be quiet, we wouldn't want one of your little friends to discover us!" The man cloaked in black held her in secrecy atop a tree, observing the seishi run around like aimless fire ants, smiling to himself. He kept her obedient with the threat that he would crush her already injured arm if she did not cooperate exactly. Once the purple-haired seishi was out of hearing range, he loosened his grip only slightly. "So, tell me Your Eminence" he began, thick sarcasm coating the title, "how does it feel to know that your efforts are wasted? That your dreams will never come true? How does it feel to know that your life is about to end?"

Her eyes filled with tears. What could she do in a situation like this? Why did her arm have to be broken?

"How informative." He smirked, then drew a poison-tipped dagger out, and aimed it at her throat.

"Let go of her!" A voice called.

"Unhand her, or your punishment will be worse than death itself!"

Soon, Nuriko and Seta came into view, Nuriko charging to the tree, threatening with her fists to knock the whole thing down before he could do anything. His smirk grew, and he poked the dagger closer to her throat, nearly breaking the skin. She choked up, and wondered if this was the right job for her after all... At least she couldn't say her life was boring.

"Your efforts are futile. This land will belong to us, and this little brat will not get in our way! It ends now!" He prepared to slash her throat.

"Not today, I'm afraid!" called an unfamiliar voice. Everyone looked around, but none could see a body to fit the sound. Suddenly, a bright light flashed at the top of the tree, startling Nuriko into hitting it...causing the tree to begin to collapse.

Just as the light appeared, time seemed to slow for Ayako, and she squinted her eyes to see a person other than the assassin...a man, yes, but it was much too bright to see any significant details.

"Who..." And just like that, time sped back up, and she found herself free-falling!

"Dammit! You're not getting injured on my account again!" Nuriko called, and ran to catch the miko. The girl fell into the woman's arms with a soft thud, and she smiled up at her in a thankful gesture. "Jeez, I just can't take my eyes off you for a second, can I?" she chuckled, not really annoyed. She didn't know why, but she was beginning to like her miko.

"Oh no...where did the assailant go?" Hotohori noticed, and looked quite worried, as Hikaru was away from the group.

"LET GO OF ME!"

"...I've made a mistake!" He ran as quickly as he could back to where they had left her, the others following swiftly behind, Ayako back on her feet.

"Stay still, you wench!"

"Not likely!" Hikaru avoided his attacks with amazing ease, trying to tire him out. "I dare you to hit me, just try!" Taking the dare, he swung at her, injuring his arm a bit as she ducked out of the way. She punched him hard in the face, catching him off guard.

"Hikaru!" She looked up to see the others.

"Oh, hey, Ayako!" She pointed at the bruised man happily.

"Watch out! He's got a poisoned blade!"

"Huh..?" The twin turned around, and quickly tried to dodge the attack...but to no avail; he may not have cut her deeply, but the scratch on her cheek was enough to stun her, allowing the poison to spread.

"VILLAIN!" Hotohori cried, aiming his sword for a stab as he ran toward the man. The assassin smirked, thinking he could escape easily, but when he turned, Nuriko was there! He tried to take the opening between them, but Nuriko quickly grabbed him, and Tamahome suddenly appeared, using a flying kick to knock him to the ground.

"Ooomf!"

"Now tell me, why are you attacking us?" Nuriko demanded.

"Hehehe..." he saw the barrage of arrows just moments before they rained down into his body from the sky, piercing him deeply and making him bleed profusely. "She was...too feisty...anyway..!" he joked looking at Hikaru just before he passed on.

"That's it! I can't take it anymore! I just want to go back home...it may be boring compared to all this, but at least we won't have to worry anymore!" Seta felt like she was about to have a mental breakdown, and fell to her knees, crying, something she rarely did in plain sight.

After another half an hour of searching, they managed to find the river, and the fog finally lifted. Seta walked behind everyone, looking down, accompanied by Hikaru, who tried to comfort her. Apparently the poison in the blade that nicked her was only enough for a short-lived, temporary paralysis, almost like a spider's venom.

"So, you say you're heading to a city in the west of the prefecture? Well, I dunno how to break this to you, but you're waaay off course!"

"I knew this might happen..." Hotohori sighed, disappointed.

"I've travelled around a good portion of Hong-nan for various jobs, so I've got it pretty mapped out in my head. Now, if my calculations are right, then we're much closer to the northern prefectures. There should be another village not too far from here if we follow the river to the east just a bit. I think we should buy a map while we're there, plus I need to get some food for my travels...I'm about out."

"I see. You seem to be quite a valuable asset to our team, Master Tamahome", Hotohori complimented and smiled respectfully, making the younger of the two blush slightly with embarrassment.

The village came into sight rather quickly, much to their excitement and relief. It was a very lively place with children running around as well as se adults. Ayako was beginning to worry and wonder whether or not this was a safe place for a girl with a broken arm... Her unvoiced question was quickly answered when a woman rammed straight into it! She had light brown hair, half put up into loops in the back, and wildly blue, extremely apologetic eyes

"AHHHHHH!" she shrieked, she was sure that it must've broken even more. 'That's it, they might as well just amputate it now cuz it's never gonna heeeeeal!' Tears filled her eyes, but they did not fall over the lids.

"Oh my goodness, I am sooo sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going...please, come with me, I'll take you to my fiance-he's a doctor!" She insisted that Ayako come with her, abandoning the spring rolls she had been carrying home to the ground. Nuriko assured the emperor and the others that she would keep an eye on her to keep her out of harms way in the meantime, allowing them to do what they needed before moving on.

"I'm home!"

"Ahh! Where are those delicious spring rolls..huh? Who's this?" a tall man with a purple and yellow headband that held up his relatively short black hair looked at the girl, and answered his own question when he saw the sling her arm was in.

"I bumped into this poor girl even after she had already had an injury...please, darling, won't you treat her?" She gave him puppy-dog eyes, and his heart melted, just like it did every time she looked at him that way.

"Of course, a patient is a patient! Please, sit over here." He gestured to a chair beside their dinner table, sweetly. "Are you injured, miss?" he asked, referring to Nuriko.

"Oh, no, I'm just her guardian."

"You have a pretty daughter", the woman complimented, unaware of what the purple-haired seishi really meant.

"She's not exactly my daughter...but she might as well be; she gets into enough trouble!"

"Yeah, as if half of the time it's not your fault!" Ayako teased, looking at her arm, which was throbbing.

"Let me take a look at that..." The young doctor untied the sling, and slowly unbandaged the arm itself, a look of horror entering his eyes at how bad the break actually was. "Are you aware that it's become infected-?"

"WHAT?" Ayako shouted, loudly. "PLEASE tell me you don't have to amputate it!" she pleaded. He laughed whole-heartedly, and shook his head a bit.

"It's nothing I can't handle. You may feel some slight discomfort, but your arm will be as good as new soon, I promise." He took a swab and dabbed it in a cleansing oil and gently rubbed off some of the infection. She jumped. "I'm sorry, did it hurt?"

"Cold..!" He smiled at her, then threw the swab into the fire to kill the germs.

"This should warm you up, then..." He lifted his left hand. "I must ask you to close your eyes, though. You too, ma'am." They blinked, but did as they were told.

Ayako felt warmth, just as he had promised, and her arm was beginning to feel better and better, as though it were going back in time.

"Lift your arm."

"What?" She was a little scared of the pain that would come with that.

"Just trust me." Terrified, she slowly did as he asked, and lifted it until it hit a barrier. She opened her eyes to find that she had lifted it almost all the way with no pain at all until she touched his hand above her head.

"Amazing..!" She was nearly speechless. Her arm was entirely healed! "I...I don't know what to say...I'm so thankful!" she stumbled.

"That's perfectly alright."

"I saw you with a group of people...won't they be worried about you?"

"Wait, how much do we owe you?" Nuriko asked.

"Just be healthy. I don't need money."

"Thank you so much, mister...?"

"You can call me Mr. Miao."

"We are in your debt, Mr. Miao..." Nuriko finished. "Let's go, Ayako!"

The couple watched happily as the two ran from the house. The man looked weak all of a sudden, causing a clatter as he fell to the table. A small white cat with brown markings walked up to him, mewing sadly.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Shao-huan...thank you. I just...used too much at once."

"Here, I'll get you some water."

Ayako and Nuriko overheard the two, and debated on whether they should go back inside, when the others called to them from the distance.

"We got a map, guys! C'mon, let's hurry before it gets too late in the day!" Seta called, thankfully more cheerful; the faster they assembled the seishi, the faster they could go home.

"Coming!"

"That's amazing, how was he able to do it?" Hikaru asked.

"I'm not sure, but I feel better than ever!" she stretched to emphasize the freedom. "There isn't even a scar, see?"

"That seems a bit suspicious, does it not?" Hotohori thought aloud. "I wonder..."

"-If we'll make the perfect couple? Of COURSE we will, Sire!" He sweat-dropped.

"Give it a rest!" Hikaru shouted, and Nuriko gave an innocent smile and a wink.

"Oh yeah! I just remembered..." Tamahome stated.

"Hmm?" Ayako looked at the boy curiously.

"So how much're ya gonna pay me for my services as a seishi?" He looked incredibly hopeful, with a boyish grin displayed quite clearly on his face.

* * *

**Author's Note::** Not quite according to the script, but ya gotta admit it's original, huh? huh? :D lolz anyway, I'll get to working on chapter 9 as soon as I can, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy the double-dose of FY 'What if' -^_^-

e-mail questions to fy_whatif (at) ymail . com for a quick response!


	9. Wild Goose Chase

**Chapter 9:: Wild Goose Chase** (_Don't worry, I will save you!_)

Nearly three days had passed, and Hotohori was beginning to wonder if Tamahome was the expert he claimed to be.

"So…how far are we from the city, again?" Hikaru questioned.

"Not that far."

"That's what you said yesterday…"

"And I meant it."

"Exactly what does 'not that far' mean to you?"

"Not that far."

"That doesn't tell me anything!" She flailed around in frustration.

"Tamahome, are you sure you know where you are going?" Hotohori finally asked, a headache beginning to form at his temples.

"When the pay's as good as this, you can bet I know!" he snickered madly as he held up the full bag of coins before putting it back in his sack of belongings. "Sorry for thinking you gals were poor way back when; apparently, it was a serious misjudgment!" He grinned from ear to ear, and pointed ahead.

"Yeah yeah…" Hikaru rolled her eyes, but was much more pleased when she saw what he was pointing at.

There lay a large city before them, quite lively and bustling with people. It seemed to be built on the edge of a cliff to the west and between a mountain to the north, and a dense forest to the east, with the south being the only safe entrance, that side having a gate and a handful of guards for its protection.

"I can't believe we're finally here!" Ayako cheered, "The next Suzaku warrior…" She smiled happily, and ran toward the open gate, the others not far behind.

The guards looked the group over, suspiciously. They weren't used to new people, and this particular bunch was peculiar. One guard didn't forget to note the swordsman of the group, and narrowed his eyes.

"No weapons are allowed beyond this point."

Hotohori looked at the man with a confused look.

"This village is for scholars and peaceful folk only, any disruption of their daily routine by the use of violence will not be tolerated." The young emperor scowled at the man for his harshness, but unstrapped his sword and handed it to the man. "The others must be checked for weapons as well; we are not naïve enough to assume women aren't a threat as well."

All of the girls looked nervous, but Nuriko looked especially concerned. I mean, she supposed that could be considered a weapon, but it's not like she had it with her because she wanted to!

"Well, i-in that case, I think I'd better stay out here and wait for you guys!"

"What are you talking about, Nuri-chan?" Ayako questioned, "I thought we were sticking together on this!" The woman sighed, and nodded.

"Alright, but I'll go last, ok? You guys go on ahead."

"You sure about this?" Tamahome blinked, and she made the "ok" symbol with her fingers.

"It's ok, I'll catch up soon."

"Well, if you say so…"

"Oh, and if Your Majesty could go inside, first, I would be most grateful."

They waited patiently inside the city for Nuriko to finish being checked. They heard the guard scream something along the lines of "Dear Suzaku, you're a..?" before a couple of loud crashes followed suit. Nuriko walked in, looking quite annoyed and clapping the dust off her hands. They felt bad for the guards that had insulted her.

"Ok, so who are we looking for?" Nuriko smiled brightly, all of a sudden, freaking them out a bit.

"Well, I know someone who lives here! His name is Kai-jun, and his nephew is a Suzaku warrior named Chiriko!"

"That's great! Lucky for you to have met someone like that." She winked playfully, and urged them all on before anyone could ask why she was in such a good mood.

The city was a lot bigger than they thought, making it twice as hard to find anyone. No one seemed to know Kai-jun that well, so Ayako presumed that he might not actually live there, after all. She would have asked if his nephew lived close by, but no one knew the name 'Chiriko', and her memory was inconveniently fuzzy when she tried to remember his real name…

She sat down on a bench, exhausted, followed by Tamahome, Nuriko, and Hikaru, Hotohori and Seta standing nearby.

"I'm sorry, guys, I wasn't expecting it to be so difficult!"

"There's always a catch…" Nuriko looked thoughtful, but could come to no conclusion.

"Are we sure we're asking the right people? This Chiriko guy can't be that hard to find", Tamahome speculated.

Somewhere close by, a small child hid behind a building, watching the group warily. She bit her lip, and ran back home to warn her brother and elderly mother.

"What are you thinking? Look, I know how important it is to you, but this is insane!"

"Please, big brother! It _is_ important to me! Besides, I'll need to travel there eventually, right?"

The man sighed, eying the girl warily.

"Alright, alright…I'll play along for now."

A large, sweet smile spread across the child's face, and she gave her brother a big hug.

"This is your burden, not mine, so you won't be upset with me later, right?" The girl nodded, then ran off to prepare.

They got to walking again, not getting very far because of the crowds, when they came across a large house somewhat near the center of town.

"Wow! Some government official must live there, or something!"

"It's gotta be someone important, anyway." Hotohori didn't seem impressed, but didn't voice an opinion.

"Excuse me." A short little girl looked up at the group, and they all looked down. "I see that you noticed my humble home!"

"You live here?" Tamahome pointed at her, and she nodded happily.

"My papa actually was a government official before he died. Now Momma, big brother, and I live here. I've never seen you in town before, have you a place to stay?"

"Actually, we just got here, so no we don't." Ayako kneeled to be at eye-level with the girl, who took the tiniest step back and blushed when the miko pet her head.

"Oh, I see…well, we have plenty of room, and it does get pretty lonely since we don't usually have guests anymore…so you can stay with us, if you want."

"That's really sweet, but is it alright with your mom and brother? We are strangers, after all." The teen eyed the child warily.

"Of course it's ok! Mommy's really nice like that, and big brother and I will take care of you!"

"What do you guys think?" she stood back up, letting the blood circulate back into her legs. They all nodded, so she did in return. "We'll accept your offer, thank you! But…what's your name?"

"Um…it's Kanna…" She looked down, and fiddled with her light brown hair, which hung over her shoulder. "Well, c'mon!" she insisted, taking Ayako's hand and pulling her toward the manor.

"Chiriko? No, I'm afraid he no longer lives in this city. He left not long ago, so it's not surprising that you were misinformed. Kai-jun stopped by for a visit a week ago, then returned to his own home in our old village."

"Oh, I see…" Ayako sighed; so she had wasted their time after all. "Wait, did you say 'our old village'? Does that mean you were neighbors, or are maybe related?"

"Yes, Kai-jun is my much-younger brother-in-law, he, like Kanna, was born very late when his parents were considered quite old to have a newborn. I have two sons, myself, Chiriko being one of them."

"Then you must know where he is!" She shook her head.

"I'm afraid I do not know he is right now, I am sorry. Kanna, would you please show them to their rooms?"

"Oh no, wait! If Chiriko really isn't in the city, then there isn't any reason for us to stay. Besides, we wouldn't want to intrude", Ayako explained.

"Please, I insist! It isn't everyday that the Suzaku no miko arrives at our door with her companions. Please stay the night and leave tomorrow instead."

"But-" She began again, but Hotohori raised his hand to silence her.

"We thank you for your hospitality, and accept your offer." He replied with a smile.

"Please, this way!"

Kanna led them upstairs and through the halls, a slight worried expression visible in her green eyes.

'This is your burden!' she recalled. 'I know, big brother!' she thought in response, a battle brewing in her subconscious.

Seta sat on the bed, staring out the window and wondered when this wild goose chase would end. She was alone in the bedroom, enjoying the peaceful quiet, however fleeting.

"Is that what you wish?"

"Huh?" she looked around. She was sure she heard the deep voice of a man, but she saw no one. When the air around her remained silent for nearly a minute, she thought she might have just imagined it.

"Very well, then. I shall grant you that wish. You need only seek me out…" the voice faded away, and she stood up, looking around now.

"Who are you?" That's great, now she was hearing voices, too…perhaps she should talk to Ayako about this.

"Hey, Seta!"

Speak of the devil.. She jumped, slightly startled when Ayako came loudly into the room.

"They have the coolest bath, you have to check it out!"

"Oh? Hey, Ayako-chan…can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, but can it wait until after dinner?"

"I-I suppose…"

"Ok, c'mon, let's hurry then!" She took her hand, and 'dragged' her through the hallways and down the stairs to the dining room.

Their eyes sparkled at the variety of food; chicken, rice, soup, vegetables of all sorts…it was all there! It was so much better than the stale bread and water they'd been living off of for the last week or so, and the fact that it was a free meal made Tamahome the happiest among them!

Throughout dinner, Seta barely touched her food. She usually didn't eat excessively anyway, but now she was beginning to lose her appetite. She supposed homesickness did that to a person. At least, she thought it was homesickness; really, she felt more out of place than anything, and it was really starting to get uncomfortable. All she really wanted was to go back to reality where it was just her, her best friends, and their eccentric crew. She chuckled silently to herself as she reminisced, remembering one of their many crazy antics; she sighed as the happiness turned to apathy, then to sadness…then the discomfort returned, and she looked away from the table.

"Seta, you ok?" Hikaru whispered.

"Eh." The older of the two looked at her with concern, and took her hand.

"C'mon, let's go talk, k?" The depressed girl nodded, smiled slightly, and followed her friend out of the room, their absence going unnoticed by all but Ayako, who sat in silence and curiosity.

"I see. Well, I don't know what to do about it…I miss home, too, but it seems the only way we can get back is to collect the star warriors and rely on Ayako to wish us back."

"I wonder if it'll be that easy. We're already having a lot of trouble, and I have a feeling that that won't be one of her wishes, however many she's allowed."

"Perhaps, but she's our best friend, give her a little credit."

"Hmm." 'Yeah, just wait until she sees _him_…we'll be doomed.' She blinked. Who was she thinking about? She couldn't put a picture or a name to her thoughts, but something about those words just made sense. Was she remembering something? "Oh yeah, and there's something else-"

Ayako peeked around the corner, looking at her sister and best friend with a sad expression. She always felt sad when they felt the need to consult each other and leave her out of their conversations. Perhaps it was a little childish, but she wanted to believe that she was somehow helpful to them, too. She walked out, putting a pretend smile on her face, convincing herself that everything was ok.

"Hey, guys! Whatchya talkin' about?"

"Oh, hi Ayako-chan", Hikaru smiled back a little bit. It was too easy to see through her sister's disguise, and she sighed. They were falling apart, and she'd have to find a way to keep the three together through all of this. "We'll talk later, k? How 'bout we relax, now, huh?" she said with a smile and a wink.

Ayako remembered the bath.

"Oh yeah! Seta, remember the bath I mentioned earlier? It's as big as a pool, at least! Well, maybe not that big, but pretty close! C'mon, guys, you gotta check it out!"

"Ok, I guess; lemme go get my towel and stuff." Hikaru ran up the stairs real quick.

"Me too, I guess…" She started to walk up, when Ayako gently grabbed her wrist.

"Seta…I'm a good listener, too, and I care about you. Will you talk to me about it later, please?" Seta nodded in response, then went up to her room.

Ayako's room was downstairs, so she waited for the others before grabbing her towel and clothes as well. By then, dinner had been finished for about ten minutes, and the seishi scattered. Ayako cheerfully led the two down the halls until they reached a double-door at the center of the house, and she opened them slowly. A bunch of steam poured out of the room, making them squint their eyes a little before entering.

"Hmm…I guess someone used it recently. Is someone there? We don't mean to intrude!" she called without a response. "Careful, guys…it's hard to see in here, so don't slip and fall in by accident."

"What, so you mean we can do it on purpose?" Yay, Seta got her sense of humor back! Ayako and Hikaru celebrated briefly before they noticed something that implied that they might not be alone after all.

Some women's clothes lay on a table, and they knew exactly who the garments belonged too. They changed into their swimsuits, a little too embarrassed to bathe naked together, and climbed into the shallow, warm 'pool'. Ayako waded through the water quickly and silently, searching for their friend, and grinned somewhat evilly to herself when she saw her…

"Hehehe…Oh Nuriiiikoooooo!" she called, running up to the horrified woman, who quickly turned around, sat down low, trying to hide from the inevitable.

It all happened very fast from there, turning out something like this: Ayako glomped Nuriko; Nuriko paled; Ayako blushed; Hikaru, being curious, went to check it out, herself…and nearly screamed (but didn't); Seta decided to have a look, and when she saw, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh my gawd…I'm ruined…I'm dead…I must be…" Nuriko cried. Ayako was terrified at what she saw, and just couldn't speak. Apparently her eyes, for some ungodly reason, drifted downward and she got a peek of something that women definitely aren't born with.

The bath didn't last long after that, and the four of them sat in the small courtyard, soaked, dressed, and speechless.

"Nobody says a word, got it?" He mumbled.

"Aye." Hikaru focused her eyes on the wall in front of her, for fear of Nuriko's fists.

"Zip." Ayako was still blushing.

"Hehe." Seta snickered, unable to speak.

"It's not funny!"

"I still just can't believe it…you're a-"

"Don't say it!"

"Alright, alright! But still…"

"You know, you're kinda hot as a guy", the oldest mentioned, catching her eyes mid-stray and refocusing them.

"I'm…going to bed early. Night, girls."

"Hahaha!" Seta couldn't hold it back any longer, and burst out laughing. She really needed that, and was thankful for the brief, happy moment.

* * *

"Thank you so much once again for your hospitality!" Ayako bowed, as did the others.

"Of course! Think nothing of it. We wish you the best of luck on your search for the shichiseishi, especially in finding Chiriko!" Kanna looked uneasy at her mother's last sentence.

"Um...good luck!" she said, trying to seem cheerful, but her conscience just kept getting in the way. 'Be quiet, other self! This the first time in my life where I've come up with a good idea myself…I can be smart, too, you'll see.'

They left the city, regaining their weapons, what few they had, and continued on their journey-of-little-results. Despite those discouraging thoughts, their hopes seemed to be renewed. Ayako remembered some of the characters from the Suzaku scroll, and thought of the last two she saw before she was interrupted. Normally her memory was pretty rotten, but for some reason these characters, as well as a few others blazed in her mind's eye. She was sure it meant something, and pulled out a small piece of paper and a pen, etching the two from the scroll.

"Hotohori-sama, can you tell me what these characters mean?"

"These?"

"They're from the scroll you showed me way back when."

"I see; I'm surprised you remember! Let's see…this one means monk, and this one-" Suddenly, a strange aura filled the area, and they all felt on edge. "Oh no…Ayako!" He jumped and pushed her out of the way, barely avoiding the hail of arrows aimed at where they were just standing. "Who is there? I demand that you reveal yourself!" He shouted, drawing his sword.

A cloaked assassin, much like the one from the other day appeared, this time with many companions.

"Priestess of Suzaku. You managed to avoid death the last time, but I promise you won't be quite so lucky this time." They surrounded the group, ready to fire arrows and even cast spells at the ready. He looked to the others and nodded. "Be sure not to harm the other two; the general made it clear that he wishes to discover their purpose here before we take action. As for you! Surrender the miko, and you will not be harmed!"

"Yeah, right! What kind of warriors would we be if we just rolled over and gave up that easily?" Nuriko smirked at the group, "Besides, you all look like pushovers, to me!"

Tamahome jumped in front of Hikaru, and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

She smiled in spite of herself, and looked at Seta with a determination that implied that she'd keep her safe, too.

"Leave now, villain! There is no place for you here, we will not surrender!"

"I see. If that's how it's going to be, then…" A strong wind began to blow around them, and the leader disappeared…and suddenly reappeared, snatching Ayako! He chuckled, and 'flew' off with her, heading toward the cliffs.

"Dammit!" Tamahome smacked his forehead; his life had dramatically changed from semi-normal to insane in a very short period of time; it was tiring work to be a protector! "Good thing they're paying me…"

"Is money all you think about?" Hikaru couldn't believe it, and yet somehow…she just could.

"What's it to you?"

"Guys, can we focus?" Nuriko pointed at the assassin, who was holding Ayako quite loosely over the very tall and terrifying cliffs.

"Oh gawd, not again!" 'Am I gonna die this time? There's no way they can make it all the way over here in time…' She closed her eyes and prepared for the worst; if she tried to fight back, he might lose his grip and drop her anyway, so what was the point? Arrg, but she really didn't wanna die!

A bright light emanated from around the two, blinding the assassin and making him drop her. She didn't even have it in her to scream, she merely fell in silence, eyes wide and tears falling seemingly upward from them, arms still raised as though she was still hoping for someone to catch her…

"No!" Hotohori and Nuriko screamed, simultaneously. Hikaru stopped bickering with Tamahome, and gasped. Seta was silent, fear overcoming her.

She closed her eyes, tightly, waiting for the impact that would surely come. She waited and waited…it was quite a long drop! Much longer than she expected it would be; something had to be off. She squinted one eye open, and saw that she was floating in midair!

"Hooooooly crap! What the hell is going on…!" Some unknown force carried her back to her friends and companions, plopping her on the earth with a soft thud. "Ooook, that was more fun than I _ever_ want to have again!" Hikaru helped her up, and wiped away her own tears; she suddenly hugged her tightly.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again! I can't handle thinking you're dead all the time…"

"I-I'm sorry, sis…" she said, meaning it; the fact that she had no control over situations like that slipped her mind when she promised it wouldn't happen again. Seta smiled at the fact that her best friend was safe, then returned her focus to the other assassins still around them.

"Guys, we're still in danger, or haven't you noticed?" she muttered to them.

"Right." Hikaru balled her hands into fists. "Just _try_ to lay a finger on my little sister again, see what happens!"

"Hikaru, what are you doing?" Ayako asked, freaking out and referring to her without a title, for once.

The assassin from earlier seemingly teleported toward them, and attempted to attack the priestess again.

"Uh-uh, I don't think so!" Nuriko grabbed the guy by his ankle and began swinging him around in the air like a rag before slamming him into the ground. He spat a little blood from his mouth, and coughed, glaring at them. "Maybe you'll manage to survive long enough to explain what the hell is going on here!"

"The priestess...shall be ours..." Suddenly, a great force spread from Seta and Hikaru, knocking everyone off their feet.

"What's going on?" Hikaru looked around, almost fearfully as she and a confused Seta became enveloped in a bright, blue light and began to disappear. Ayako's heart raced, and she panicked.

"No! Seta, Oneesama!" Then they were gone.

"Hehe...see? She's ours, now..." he coughed up some more blood, and another assassin swooped down for the final blow, and he passed on. The living man signaled to his fellow assassins, who all fired their arrows simultaneously at Ayako and her seishi. The same light that had protected her from near death the many times before appeared and blew the barrage of arrows away with a strong wind.

Ayako stood in the spot where her friends disappeared, and tried to hold back the tears. Her grieving was cut short when the light condensed before her, taking the form of a person and faded to reveal a man in a monk's robes. He had light blue hair tied up in a low ponytail of sorts with bangs seeming to defy gravity; he turned to face her momentarily, eyes closed and smiling.

"Don't worry, I will save you, no da!" he whispered, and she couldn't help but recognize his voice. He took his staff in hand, and lightly tapped the ground. The enemies all froze and were hit by waves of magic.

"Dammit...! Retreat! Retreat!" They disappeared as quickly as they arrived, and her savior turned to look at her.

"Priestess of Suzaku..." Her heart raced, and she wondered what would happen next.

* * *

**Author's Note::** Wow, almost forgot to put one! Seta spent the night last night and was being insanity on Assassin's Creed, so I was distracted during proof-reading xD It was highly amusing, tho :P And that was before we ended up staying up all night/day watching 'Treasure Planet' and 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' (2005). Anyway, I'm trying to keep up the fast pace and post chapters often, of course now that I've said it, I'll prolly fall off the face of the earth, again xD (hopefully not :P) anyhoo, I hope you enjoy it so far! :3


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